A Magical Voyage
by DaynaWayna
Summary: STORY 3. Bogg and Tracy are now Sr. Voyagers with Apprentices to train. Jeff and Megan discover there's more to Voyaging than just studying history. Also, a new Voyager gets his first mission. Written with my 14 yr old daughter and her plot bunny.
1. Dedication

Dedication

This story would not be possible without the help of my daughter Megan, and my husband Don. They badgered me relentlessly to write another story, but I didn't have any ideas. No plot bunnies of any kind.

So they brought bunnies home for me. Most went back to the Plot Bunny Shop... except for one from Megan. She fought long and hard to keep it and I finally relented. We petted it and fed it and groomed it until it finally took hold of my muse and we were off and running!

This is not a typical story for me and it took a while to get used to this bunny's ideas. Not that I minded following its lead, mind you. It was just... different. Leave it to my child to challenge me as a writer. I think I've done a good job with her requests and made something she will be proud of for years to come.

So, Thank You Megan for giving me so much material to work with! You made this story come alive and I look forward to writing more about Megan and Tracy.

And Thank You Don for plotting, planting, and feeding the bunny, and for all your creative input. And also for being my 'audio beta'. You're the best.

Dayna Budde

November 20, 2007


	2. Chapter 1 Graduation and Apprenticeship

Chapter 1 

_VHQ_

"Now remember Matt," Tracy whispered as Matt held out his hand, "The first step is always the scariest. You'll be fine, I promise!" Tracy handed Matt his new Omni and stepped back to her place among the other Voyager presenters onstage. The dark haired cowboy's fingers twitched nervously around his Omni as he took his seat onstage once more.

Councilman Garth stepped to the podium and cleared his throat. The auditorium was silent, all eyes upon him. "This is an auspicious occasion here at Voyager Academy," he said gravely. "Not only are we graduating 25 new Voyagers, but we are also instituting a new program: Voyager Apprenticeship." The assembly applauded loudly as he continued, "As a few of you here know, the Apprenticeship Program has actually been in effect for a little over 2 Earth Standard Years. The Council decided to pluck a future Voyager while still in his childhood, and give him "field training" with a qualified Voyager." He nodded to the young man on the platform, then glanced to one of the Voyagers in the audience.

"This Voyager and his Apprentice got off to a rather rocky start, but they quickly learned to depend on each other, especially since The Guidebook had been left behind in the young boy's room."

Those assembled laughed, some knowing exactly who had the guide book, and looked over at Phineas who blushed, muttering, "Stupid dog."

Garth cleared his throat and continued, "Through many trials and adventures, a deep bond was forged between the two, and they brought out many wonderful qualities in each other. With the success of this partnership, we moved forward with the Apprentice Program, and extended it to children of Voyagers based here at VHQ as well. Will our Apprentices now approach the podium please?"

Jeff and the girl he was sitting with stood and walked to the podium, then turned to face the audience. Matt winked at him from his seat and in the audience, he could see Phineas beaming from ear to ear.

"Apprentices: you have successfully completed your classroom training and are now ready to take to the field with your appointed Voyager. If Mr. Jones' partner will please approach the stage," he nodded at Phineas who now stood and made his way forward.

He reached the stage and stood behind Jeffrey, putting his hands on the boy's shoulders and whispered, "I'm so proud of you, kid!"

Garth nodded to Phineas, then addressed the auditorium. "It is my pleasure to now introduce our newest Voyager Team. First, our Apprentice. Megan Wilcox," he addressed the other teen on the stage. "I have watched you grow and mature here at VHQ, and your thirst for knowledge and desire to Voyage has been apparent for quite some time. Like your parents before you, you have a gift for compassion and problem solving and that gift will serve you well in the field."

He now turned to the assembled Voyagers on stage who had presented Omnis to the new graduates. "And now for you, Ladies and Gentlemen. This decision was not made lightly, and I do believe the Council has made a wonderful choice. For those who expressed interest, and those whom We considered without your knowledge," he winked, causing a smattering of nervous laughter, "Please know you are not out of the running for a future Apprentice."

Garth looked at all the Voyagers once more then took a deep breath. "Voyager Tracy Reynolds, please step forward."

Tracy's hand flew to her mouth in shock, but she quickly recovered and stepped out to Garth's side. "Voyager Reynolds, it is my... _supreme_ pleasure to bestow upon you, and Voyager Bogg, the title of Senior Voyager. And with that title comes the responsibility of training your apprentice." He now turned to the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you our newest Voyager Team: Senior Voyager Tracy Reynolds and her partner, Miss Megan Wilcox!" 

"That's my girl!" Jon Wilcox shouted over the applause as his wife tried to quiet him down. Megan blushed the deep red of pride and embarrassment as she took her certificate from Garth and waved shyly at her parents before habitually tucking her hair behind her right ear. She had her mother's light brown hair, cut in a chin-length bob, and her father's bright smile. Jon whistled and Ashleigh Wilcox gave up trying to silence her husband and applauded loudly for her daughter.

Garth held his hand up and the applause died away. "And now, I present to you the team that started it all, Senior Voyager Phineas Bogg and his partner, Mr. Jeffrey Jones!"

The roar was deafening. Jeff took his certificate from Garth and caught Megan smiling at him. He smiled back and took his place beside Bogg. The new graduates stood in honor of the newest young Voyagers and the audience followed suit. Garth raised his hands once more and proclaimed loudly, "And now, I am proud to present to you, the 112th Graduating Class from Voyager Academy!"

Mortar boards flew into the air amid shouts of joy. Applause resounded throughout the theater as the new graduates cheered each other and found their friends among the assembly. Tracy looked at her new partner and smiled. "Well Megan, looks like you and I get to show these two how things are done!"

Megan smiled brightly and nodded, "Yeah, Jeff. You'd better watch out!"

Phineas took Tracy's hand, drew her near to him and kissed her. "Congratulations, beautiful. You two will make a great team."

By this time, the stage had cleared enough for them to step down, and Megan ran to her father. "Daddy! I did it!"

"Well done, my young Padewan-"

"JON!" Ashleigh and Tracy exclaimed together. The group laughed as they made their way to the festivities.

-o-

After going through the buffet line, Jeff sat down next to Matt and playfully punched his arm. "Way t'go pardner. Yuh dun got yerself grad-ur-aided!"

Matt laughed at the young Voyager and slapped him on the back. "Thanks Jeff. I just wish-"

"Congratulations Matt!" Voyager Vivian Olsen came up behind his chair and gave him a hug. "Top 5 in your class, I'm so proud of you!"

To his surprise, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Matt blushed slightly and invited her to sit with them.

"Thanks, I think I will!"

Vivian had been smitten by the handsome new Voyager Trainee from the moment she met him. They had a playful, flirtatious relationship, and Matt repeatedly squashed rumors that they were 'an item'. The lovely brunette, however, never stopped the speculation and encouraged it among the new Trainees. "The less competition, the better," she had told Jon once.

Ashleigh nudged her husband as Viv joined the table, "You weren't kidding when you said Viv-"

"Shhhh!" he whispered and lightly stepped on her toe. "That woman has the hearing of a bat!" Vivian's head snapped in his direction, and Jon smiled at her.

"No, Jon," his wife retorted, "it's that you don't know how to whisper."

They all laughed and Matt said, "Thanks a lot y'all. It really meant a lot to me that you were here for this." He no longer remembered Where or When his former life was, but he knew he had been part of a close-knit family and he missed that a lot. Bogg, Jeff and Tracy had known Matt and his family before he was chosen to be a Voyager and even though he didn't remember his brother and nephew, they tried to fill the void they knew he felt.

While the adults talked shop, Jeff and Megan were engrossed in their own conversation.

"So, anyway, I saw the figure run really fast across the catwalk, then the lights went out and I heard his laugh... it was freaky!"

Megan was enthralled. "So what happened, Jeff?"

"Well, The Phantom snuck up behind me and then the light bar fell and shattered. That's how I got this scar. And then-- Ow!" Jeff rubbed his shin and glared at Bogg. "What'd you do that for? That hurt!"

"Now is not the time or place for that story Jeff." Phineas ground out with a stern look. "You're going to scare Megan before she even gets a chance to get started!"

"Oh, I don't mind, Mr. Bogg," she replied breathlessly. "It's really exciting and kinda cool, in a scary sorta way."

"Yeah, Bogg, " Jeff gave him a 'back-off-and-let-me-talk-to-her' look, and Phineas shook his head, chuckling. 

"What's so funny?" Tracy asked him.

Phineas jerked his thumb toward the kids, "Mr. 'I-saved-the-Paris-Opera-House' is trying to impress Megan by telling... Tracy? Hey, what'd I say? Trace what's wrong?"

She had turned from him, her demeanor cold. "Phineas Bogg, I do NOT want to hear about that assignment ever again! You and Jeffrey almost died at the hands of that madman! And more than once I might add!"

"I didn't bring it up, it was Jeff...!" He glared at his partner who just smirked back at him.

-O- 

Things finally started to wind down, and it was time for the new graduates and the Voyager Apprentice Teams to take their leave of VHQ. Ashleigh held her daughter tightly and whispered dozens of last minute instructions to her. Megan rolled her eyes as only a 15 year old can and smiled a watery smile, "Muh-ther! I'm going to be fine! Tracy will take good care of me, won't you Tracy?"

"Like she was my own, Ashleigh, I promise."

Megan finally broke free of her mother's grasp and faced her father. "Oh, Daddy, don't cry please!" She threw her arms around his neck and he held her tight. She whispered to him through her tears, "You are my Sunshine..." Jon choked on his laughter, surprised by his daughter's humor. "C'mon Daddy, sing it, please! My only Sunshine..."

He recovered quickly and whispered back, "Well, not my Son-shine, but more like my Daughter-shine.. whatever."

"You make me happy.."

"MOST of the time...!"

Megan giggled, "When skies are grey..."

As they continued to sing "their song", Vivian led Matt off to the side. "I'm going to miss you, Cowboy," she said sadly, but with a hint of mischief.

Matt smiled at her, took her hand and kissed it. He certainly liked this spunky brunette with her 1940's flair. "Well, Miss Vivian, I'm certainly going to miss you, too. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have made it through 'Psychology of Time Travel', that's for sure. I also wouldn't have gotten that extra essay to write on Peter the Great, or had such fun earning that essay..." They both laughed, remembering that adventure and the subsequent lecture from Professor Dunn. He looked into her eyes and sighed. "Ya know, I really hate sayin' goodbye-"

"Then don't say anything... at.. all..." her husky voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned in and kissed him.

-O-

"Well, Tracy, looks like we're off and running again!" Phineas had his arm around her and she lay her head on his chest. "I'm just glad they've given me my guidebook back because Voyaging without him was boor-ing!"

"Ha ha, Bogg. Very funny!"

Ashleigh walked over to them, "Get ready for the 'big ending'," she said with a smile.

"What big ending?" Jeff asked.

Megan was giggling so hard she could hardly get the words out. "Oh, please, don't take my Sunshine..."

On cue Jon exclaimed, "Don't **_even_** get me started on **that** one again!" Megan laughed aloud, startling several small groups in the area, including Vivian and Matt, who quietly rejoined the group, holding hands. 

Councilman Walters called all new Voyagers to him and once assembled, made his final speech. "Remember ladies and gentlemen, that we are to help History along its proper course. We do not change things to suit our own ideas or ideals of what we think should be." They all nodded in agreement. "We send you forth from this hallowed place... as Voyagers!" Twenty-seven Omni's opened and chimed their Green lights in unison. "Ladies and gentleman, please set your Omni's to Automatic mode. Godspeed and may all your landings be soft!"

The crowd applauded as singly and in groups, the graduates activated their Omni's. Megan was bouncing on her toes and grabbed Tracy's hand, tucked her hair behind her ear and waved at her parents before looking at her Mentor, eyes shining with excitement. Tracy was looking at Phineas and she nodded. They both handed their Omni's to their partners and smiled. Matt looked at his friends one last time, lingering on Vivian, then closed his eyes and hit the button. Jeff grinned and hit the button quickly, leaving another space in the room. Megan looked at the device in her hand, then at Tracy and gave a short laugh. She looked around the room one last time, and with the press of a button, left the only home she'd ever known.


	3. Chapter 2 The First Assignment

Chapter 2 

_New York, May 12, 1997_

Matt landed in the bushes with an unceremonious thud. His heart was racing, and he finally managed to open his eyes and got up gingerly. "Looks like I've landed in... New York?" He opened his Omni and read the display and nodded. "New York, May 12, 1997. Red Light." He looked around at the hundreds of people crowding the streets and looked at his Omni again. "Ya couldn't possibly be a bit more specific, could ya?"

With an aggravated sigh, he snapped the unit shut and decided to find out more about where he was.

It appeared to be lunch hour, as everyone was milling around chatting and eating. As he was looking around, a young woman reading a manuscript collided with him, knocking her papers everywhere. "Oh! Sir! I'm so sorry!"

"Here, lemme help you, ma'am." Matt grabbed a stack of papers as the woman chased down a few renegade pages. "There ya go, looks like we got them all."

She looked up at him and smiled, "I am so sorry for crashing into you like that! And thank you for helping me."

Matt smiled back, "It was my pleasure. You've made my first day here a memorable one." She blushed as he continued, "By the way, my name's Matt. Matt Boyd."

"Well, Mr. Boyd, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Lisa Griffin, and as you can see, I'm a Reader for Scholastic Books." She walked over to an available table and sat down to organize her papers.

"A 'Reader'?"

"Yeah. People write stories and send them to us hoping to get published. I read the manuscripts and decide if it's something we would want to publish or not. And this," she pointed to the stack before her, "this is my current project. 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'. I really like it."

Matt looked at the manuscript and held out his hand, "May I take a look?"

Lisa shrugged. "Sure, why not?" She handed him the first six pages and he started to read.

_"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense._" 

Ten minutes later, Matt looked up at Lisa. "You're right, this ain't half bad. Very, uh.. English, though."

She nodded in agreement, "Yeah, that's what I thought too. But I think with the right marketing, it has some potential. Well," she looked at her watch, "my lunch hour's just about up. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Matt Boyd." She extended her hand hand he shook it.

"It was a pleasure being run into by you, Miss Griffin." His eyes twinkled and they both laughed. He helped Lisa pack up her things and waved to her as she walked back into her office building. "Well Matt," he said to himself, "you sure know how to start an assignment right, don'tcha?" He looked at his Omni again (which was still red) and sighed. He grabbed his guidebook from his back pocket and flipped through the pages. "Griffin, Lisa... nope. Scholastic... nope. How about... Literature. What was that called? Harry Potter and...the... UH Oh."

He scanned the page that listed the major points in the publication of the book and cringed when he read the following entry.

_January 17th 1996, England: _

_J.K. Rowling submits first 3 chapters of Philosopher's Stone to Christopher Little Literary Agents. Manuscript put into the reject basket upon receipt due to policy of not taking children's books. Bryony Evans, Personal Assistant to Mr. Christopher Little, took the manuscript from the reject basket, read it and loved it. That same day a free-lance reader came in and Ms. Evans asked her to go over the document and she was impressed as well. Ms. Evans then asked Mr. Little if she could request the rest of the manuscript and he agreed. She loved the book and the agency took Ms. Rowling on as a client._

Matt shook his head. "England, 1996 huh? All right then." He set the new coordinates and looked around. "Sorry t'do this to you, Ms. Griffin, but this ain't your book to discover."

-O-

_December 5th, 2005 Fulham, West London, England_

With a shriek and a thud, Tracy and Megan landed in a secluded alleyway. Tracy got up and started to laugh. "Megan! If you're going to scream every time we travel...!"

"I'm sorry!" Megan said as she dusted herself off. "That was just... cool!'

Tracy laughed. "Yeah, I guess it was cool, once. OK Meg. Time to see where we're at."

Megan opened the Omni and studied it a moment. "Looks like... Ohmygosh! ENGLAND! I've always wanted to see England!" Tracy folded her arms and tried to look stern in the face of youthful exuberance, but after a moment she had to laugh. Megan did, however, realize she'd been chastised and attempted to calm down. "Ohhkay. England. Actually, West London. December 5th, 2005. Red Light." She looked around the alley and smiled. "Well, this tells us a lot, doesn't it?" They headed out to the street and started walking. "Can we at least stop by a store and get some warm coats? It's freezing out here!

They quickly found a shop and got their coats, then walked around taking in the sites. Megan chattered on about how beautiful the Christmas lights were, and all she knew about England and how amazing it was. They came to a crosswalk and Megan saw a McDonald's across the street. "Hey, I've heard about that place! Can we go get something to eat please? Jeff said their food is awesome! Please Tracy?"

"I haven't had McDonald's in a long time... sure, let's go."

They crossed the street and entered the building; the aroma stopped them both in their tracks.

Tracy sighed blissfully, "Aaahhhh! Nothing smells as good at McDonald's french fries!"

"You're not kidding!" Megan replied. "Wow, I can't wait to--" she stopped short and gasped aloud, causing a few patrons to look her way before resuming their meals. Megan clapped her hand over her mouth, turned beet red and started to practically hyper-ventilate. Tracy grabbed her arm and looked deeply concerned.

"Meg, what is it? Megan? Megan what's wrong?"

The teen could only blink her eyes, now the size of silver dollars, and shakily point at the front counter at the handsome young man who stood behind it. He was about 16 or 17 with short brown hair, a bit taller than Megan, and was lanky but muscular. Tracy's fear turned to annoyance as she led Megan to a booth. "Good lord girl! Get a grip! I agree that he's a handsome young man, but come on now.."

"No! Tracy! He's... that's... ohmygosh!"

"Megan," Tracy said threateningly, "If you don't get a grip--!"

"But that's Daniel Radcliffe," Megan hissed excitedly. 

Tracy blinked in surprise; she knew the name but couldn't quite place the significance of the statement. "Daniel... who?"

"D-a-n-i-e-l R-a-d-c-l-i-f-f-e. You know, Harry Potter?" 

Tracy's head snapped back around to the young man in shock, then looked back at her apprentice. "No.. it can't be!"

"But it is! I'd know him anywhere!" Her voice was rising and Tracy put a finger to her lips to shush her. Megan's eyes flared and she opened the Omni. "If there's anything I know better than history it's that boy right there. I've seen all his movies, I've read all the interviews... I know his life better than my own. Just ask my mom! He is our Red light, Tracy, I know it!" 

She looked at the young girl in front of her, then back at the boy behind the counter and shook her head. _What would I have given to come face to face with the love of my teenage life,_ she thought and smiled. _And if anyone will know what his life should be, it would be a fan like Megan._ "Well Miss Megan, what do we do now?" 

Megan looked at Daniel and started to blush again. "We, ummm... well, can we... no. But, I... ummm, can we meet him?" The last part came out in a quiet squeak and Tracy had to laugh.

"Girl, what am I going to do with you? You_ have to_ get a hold of yourself. A Voyager doesn't get all twitterpaited and fall apart in the face of a difficult assignment even," she said quickly with emphasis, "even if said assignment happens to be a handsome man and the love of your life." Tracy took Megan's hands in her own and looked her straight in the eyes. "You have to put this all aside and do your job. You can't be star struck. You can't ask for an autograph, because he's not famous in this time line and he'd probably think you were crazy. You have to find out why we have a Red light and you have to make it right. Can you do that? Because if you can't, I'm taking you right back to VHQ." 

Megan's eyes filled with tears. She knew Tracy was right and she had a decision to make. Becoming a Voyager like her parents had always been her dream, so when the Apprenticeship program opened up, she jumped at the chance. Her mom had worried that she wasn't mature enough or wouldn't be strong enough and Megan always brushed her off with teen confidence, "Oh mom, come on. I can totally do this!" Now Megan wasn't so sure. She wanted desperately to meet her teen idol (she'd always preferred him in his Harry Potter years to the older, well known actor he became in his time), but if she couldn't do this, then she didn't deserve to be a Voyager. 

Tracy watched as the young girl looked over to the counter again then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She prayed with all her might that the child had inherited her father's drive to succeed against all odds and her mother's practicality. If VHQ had decided to test this Apprentice's resolve, they'd done a darn good job of it.

Megan opened her eyes and looked at her Mentor. "Okay."

"Okay, what?"

"Okay, I can do this. He's not my teen idol in this time line. He's a normal, everyday kid like me. I can't promise to think straight, though; I mean look at him! He's soo hot!" Tracy fought against laughter as Megan continued with a grin. "Well! He is! And teenage girls get all 'twitterpaited' as you said, when they see a boy they like! But, if you'll help me, I'll do my very best to figure out where things went wrong. After all, I was trained by a Jedi Master, right?"

"You are Jon's child through and through!" Tracy laughed at last and gave Megan's hands a squeeze. "Now, would you like to order our lunch, or should I?"


	4. Chapter 3 Star Struck

Chapter 3 

_The Coast of Malta, 1980_

"Cut! Cut! Harry, the Kracken is to your RIGHT! Hold Medusa's head to your right! Let's try it once more please. Places everyone!"

Phineas and Jeff walked on the rocky beach at the edge of the film set and stood off to the side to watch the production. Phineas looked around, impressed. "This is a far cry from the film set we were on with FDR, huh kid?"

"You said it Bogg. This looks familiar somehow, like I've seen the movie before, but I can't remember what it is..."

The director called out, "Quiet on the set! All right Harry, to the right this time. Mark... and, Action!" The man called Harry unwrapped the red cloak, releasing the head of Medusa. He held it up in his left hand, facing the outcropping of rocks where the Kracken would be edited in. He held this pose briefly, then threw it as far as he could into the sea. "Cut! Check the gate. Beautiful, Harry!"

"You know, kid, that guy out there kinda looks like someone I met in ancient Greece once. Pervali.. no, Persimmon..."

"Perseus!" Jeff exclaimed. "Bogg! This is _'Clash of the Titans'_! I loved this movie! It was sooo cool, and the special effects were awesome! Wow! That's Harry Hamiln and... and that's Burgess Meredith, from Rocky! This is so cool! Can we stay and watch? Please?"

Phineas opened the Omni and shook his head. "Sorry kid, bright red. Can't hang around..." he laughed at Jeffrey's shocked expression. "I'm kidding! Who knows, maybe you'll get to be in this movie." Jeff's eyes lit up and Phineas laughed.

They talked with some of the crew and were quickly put to work helping set up for the next scene. They just finished securing the lights when a stunningly beautiful woman in Grecian robes walked across the beach. Phineas wasn't the only man who stopped working to watch her pass. "If that's what a goddess looks like then consider me converted!"

"_Bogg_...that 'goddess' is Ursula Andress, and she belongs to him." Jeff pointed to Harry Hamiln.

"Who, Perseus? The guy in the skirt? He's not the 'blonde goddess' type... she's all wrong for him! He needs a cute brunette with a cute pout... besides I can take him..." He watched as Harry took Ursula in his arms and kissed her passionately. His muscles flexed as he held her and Phineas looked away and laughed nervously. "Heh heh. Um.. yeaahhh. Hey Jeff, gimme a hand with this light, will ya?"

Jeff clapped his hands a few times then grabbed the end of the light they had been carrying.

"Smart kids give me a pain!"

The next day was the last day of filming for this location, and most of the cast had come to watch, even if they didn't have screen time. Jeff was in awe as he watched 'movie gods' talking and visiting with the crew. "That's Sir Lawrence Olivier. He plays Zeus. He's also portrayed Othello, among other things. And you've already seen Ursula Andress, she plays Aphrodite, goddess of Love."

"You got that right," Bogg said dreamily.

Jeff just rolled his eyes and continued to set up the mess tent for lunch. He couldn't believe he was this close to Hollywood royalty; he had actually brought water to Sir Lawrence Olivier himself, and he could barely speak when he'd delivered it. Lawrence had graced him with a gentle smile and sincere thanks, leaving Jeff dazed. Phineas ribbed him for it, but Jeff didn't care. This was the coolest assignment ever.

The final scene filmed in Malta would be where Andromeda is led down to the sacrificial rock and chained there. Just for fun, the actors portraying the Gods were dressed as part of the entourage for the princess. More prominent than the other 'disguised gods' was the goddess Thetis. She was there to see that the sacrifice went as planned in retribution for the disgrace and ultimate death of her son Calibos.

And, as Bogg had 'predicted', Jeff was indeed used as an extra in the scene. He was extremely excited because he got to be a 'servant' to the disguised Thetis.

"Check me out, Bogg! This is even better than when we were in Rome!"

Phineas tousled his hair. "See Jeff? I told you you'd make it big some day!"

Jeff laughed, "Don't let it go to your head! Hey, have you found anything that would cause our Red light yet?"

"Other than that goddess not belonging to me, nope."

"Maybe it's the 'gods' being in this scene; I don't remember seeing them in the movie... but it has been a while since I've seen it. This is gonna be cool!"

Director Desmond Davis called everyone in the entourage over, "All right people, let's get this on film!"

Phineas had been recruited by head Boom operator Terry Sharratt to help support the main boom mic for the scene. He grabbed the end of the boom and winked at Jeff as he walked away. The cameras would be in front of the sacrificial rock for the front shot of the procession. The denizens of Joppa were scattered around on the rocks to watch the sacrifice, and the surf crashed on either side of them, spraying everyone and making the walkway slippery. Desmond called for quiet, got the cameras rolling and called, "Action!"

The procession started, led by Queen Cassiopeia and Andromeda. People were wailing for the princess as she passed by them, regal head held high, but fear glaring from her eyes. The royal escort lined the causeway leading to the rock as an honor guard for their princess, and the disguised gods watched silently. The wind whipped at their clothes and hair, and Jeff had a difficult time keeping still. "Hold steady, boy!" Thetis hissed as Jeff bumped into her.

The surf was crashing higher now, and the wind was tearing at the boom causing Phineas and Terry to use all their strength to keep it steady. The procession stopped on cue for the camera to get a close up of Andromeda. As the waves crashed higher, the extras on the rocks clung to each other fearfully. Everyone was looking very nervous, and Desmond knew he had to wait out the apparent storm at sea. He grabbed his bullhorn and called out, "Cut! Get back to the beach!"

Then several things happened at once.

The wind bellowed through, knocking over a camera and the boom, knocking Phineas to the ground. He scrambled up quickly to help Terry right the boom just as a huge wave crashed into the rocks and the causeway. Actors still on the surrounding rocks cried out and scrambled down as fast as they could while those on the beach helped them. Those on the causeway tried to get back up to the beach when the wave hit, knocking most to the ground. The camera crew scrambled to rescue the equipment and get to a sheltered spot against the rocks as the sea tried to overwhelm them. Most of the actors were now off the causeway, and Phineas prayed Jeff was okay.

When the first wave hit, Jeff had grabbed Thetis from behind and tried to shield her from the water with his body as they were thrown to the ground. They got up and started running but heard the roar of another wave crashing upon them.

Desomond saw the wave and shouted into his bullhorn, "Brace yourselves! Incoming!"

Ignoring his own fear, Jeff pushed Thetis down and threw himself over her, grabbing the side of the causeway with one arm and holding her in the other. The others with them followed suit and the camera crew braced against the rocks as the wave crashed over them all, submerging the causeway.

When the water finally receded, Phineas scanned the crowd on the beach, looking for Jeff's distinctive costume. Someone to his left suddenly screamed, "Maggie, no!"

Screenwriter Beverley Cross ran past Phineas toward the causeway and was caught by Terry. As they struggled the older man yelled, "Maggie! Let me go! I must save my wife!"

"Bev, calm down! She's right..." Terry stopped short as he saw two figures in the water. One was dressed as the goddess Thetis. The other was a little smaller, dressed in a servant costume.

-O-

_VHQ, Omnitron Control Center_

Jon stood at the control panel, staring at the readout: Reynolds/Wilcox- London, December 5th, 2005, Researching Red Light.

"She's fine, Jon. Relax." Vivian walked over to her mentor and smiled. "She's a smart kid, and Tracy will take good care of her." Her smile glinted wickedly in her eyes, "Trust the Force, my young Padewan."

"You are most wise, Jedi Master," he replied dryly and continued to stare at the read-out.

Viv shook her head, "Were you this worried about me on my first assignment?"

"Yeah... huh? What'd you say?"

"Jon, you need to relax! She's fine. They're both fine, and staring at the Omnitron will not change things one iota." She put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look. "Don't make me bring out the big guns..." she held up a slender communicator which Jon recognized right away. 

His eyes opened wide.

"You wouldn't!"

"I would!" Her finger rested lightly on the activator button. "You promised Ashleigh when Megan got accepted as an apprentice that you wouldn't be a worry wort, and look at you! I'm just glad you don't have video access or we'd never get you out of here." She glanced at the communicator. "I could push this button and let your wife find out you've broken your promise to her, and to Megan..."

"I'm just a concerned father, Viv! And I'm here in the Control Center just doing my job, monitoring all voyages..."

Viv's eyes flashed, "Yeah, and who was it that pointed out to you Apprentice Voyager Jones' dire situation in 1980 Malta? Or that Voyager Collins needed assistance with those wild-men in East Asia 1792?"

Jon gripped the side of the desk, trying not to lash out at Viv. Jon Wilcox was always in control; always knew who was where, what was going on, and how things should be. And nobody told him how to do his job. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself and turned to face Vivian.

"Don't call my wife. I'm fine." He gave her a smile that almost reached his blue eyes, but not quite. At that moment, Supervisor Curt Rogers walked in.

"Good afternoon Wilcox, Ms. Owens."

"Good afternoon sir," they chorused.

Curt walked over to the Omnitron and punched in some codes. "Looks like those young Voyagers a doing just fine so far; young Mr. Jones acted very courageously, and I hear tell your daughter met one of her favorite actors from the early 21st century. Apparently Voyager Reynolds had a heck of a time keeping her calm."

Jon laughed aloud in spite of himself, causing other Omnitron Techs to glance his way. "Don't tell me she made that high-pitched squeak...!"

The control room was filled with laughter. Megan was well known for that "high-pitched squeak" when she was excited, or was confronted with the object of her affection. Jon shook his head then covered his face with his hands. "I'll bet she screams when she travels, too!"

"I don't have audio Jon, so I can't tell you for sure, but it looked like Tracy handled her just fine. C'mere, I'll show you." He glanced at Viv and winked at her. She reciprocated and smiled. _Leave it to Curt to ease Jon's worries, _she thought.

He pulled up the image of Tracy and Megan sitting in a booth, talking with a good looking young man. He and Tracy seemed to be doing most of the talking, while Megan alternated staring at him or slowly eating her meal. Jon resisted the urge to touch the monitor and stared at his daughter, then realized who she was sitting with.

"That's the kid from those wizarding movies... Harry Potter- I mean Daniel Radcliffe! How is she sitting so still? She loves that guy!"

"It's amazing what a woman will do to be near someone she likes," Vivian said sagely. "I'm sure Tracy is also stepping on her toes or kicking her to keep her focused." Curt and Jon looked at Viv who just batted her eyes at them, "What, you don't honestly think we ladies do it all on our own, do you?" She looked at the screen. "Looks to me like Megan is getting a crash course in self control."

-O-

Megan was in heaven. Sitting across from her was a young Daniel Radcliffe... Harry Potter... and oh so much more. Tracy had struck up a conversation with him when they ordered lunch and he had come over to their booth to chat once his shift was over.

"So, how long do you think your work will keep you in England," he asked. "Because I'd be happy to show you around town." Tracy noticed him glance briefly at Megan, who was suddenly very interested in the pattern printed on the table.

"I'm guessing at a few weeks at least," Tracy replied. "And thank you for the generous offer, Daniel. We could certainly use a friend in the area and who better to give us insight than a local? If we do end up renting a flat in the area, Megan will need to know how to get around as well. What do you say, Meg? Are you game?" Megan heard her father's teasing tone in the request and took a deep breath.

"Sure, _Aunt_ Tracy."

"It's settled then. Let me just get my jacket and call my mum." He scooted out of the booth, "And please call me Dan. I know my name tag says Daniel, but I'm only called that when I'm in trouble or for formal occasions."

As they watched him head to the back of the store, Tracy reached across the table and grabbed Megan's hands.

"You, my dear are doing amazingly well! I'm very proud of you. How do you feel?"

Megan was grinning from ear to ear. "I'm... oohhhhmygosh! He's soooo coool! He's just like the video interviews show him! And he's sooo good looking!" She promptly blushed.

Tracy laughed good naturedly, "Yes, he is a darling, isnt' he? Maybe I can voyage 10 years in the future and see.."

"Don't you dare! He's mine!" They both laughed again and Megan took a deep breath. "Okay... breathe... oh crap! Here he comes!"

"Good news ladies! My mum has invited you to stay for dinner this evening, and she won't hear otherwise." His voice dropped to a low whisper, "And if mum says you're staying, I wouldn't argue." He held out his hand to Tracy and helped her out of the booth then turned to Megan to help her.

She hesitated only a moment, then put her hand in his. It took all her self control to not squeal as he helped her to her feet. And it was Tracy who noticed that as Megan relaxed her grip that Dan held her hand a moment longer before letting go. _Oh, Lord!_ She thought, _I don't think I could handle **two** twitterpaited teens!_


	5. Chapter 4 Concerning Red Lights

Chapter 4 

_London, January 10, 1996_

"Well, that's more like it," Matt said as he landed in an empty seat on a moving train. No one was in the compartment so the landing went unnoticed. He glanced around and then checked the Omni: London, January 10, 1996. Red light.

"All right, then. I'm on a train, I'm supposed to be making sure Harry Potter gets into the right hands... why am I here?" 

Matt walked into the next compartment and quietly sat down in the first available seat. Across from him was a woman with strawberry blonde hair, which reminded him of Tracy. I hope she and Megan are doing alright, he thought as he smiled. The lady looked to her left and brushed her hand through her daughter's hair. 

"No mummy! No mess it up!" The child patted her hair down with a chubby little hand as her mother sighed.

"Jessica love, I... oh never mind." She sighed and caught Matt's eye. He was grinning at them and he winked at the lady.

"I think you're gonna have yer hands full with this littl'un. How old is she?"

Before her mother could answer Jessica declared loudly, "I two cute! When I fwee I be fwee cute!"

Anyone within earshot smiled or laughed, some louder than others. "Jessica," her mother laughed and blushed. "What am I going to do with you? Please forgive my daughter sir," the woman was blushing. "She tends to speak her mind, as you noticed."

"There's nothing to forgive, ma'am. She's a darlin', that's for sure. By the way, my name's Matt. Matt Boyd."

"I'm Jo Rowling," she said, extending her hand. Matt hoped he hid his shock as he took her hand in his.

Not to be left out, Jessica held out her hand. "I Jesska."

Matt laughed and shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Jessica. What are you coloring there?"

"Oh now you've done it," Jo said with a sigh. "She'll talk your ear off about--"

"Budgie the heck-a-lopter," Jessica said gleefully. Matt listened as the child rattled on about her favorite show and told him all about the different characters and what they did. After a while, she looked at her mother and pointed to her briefcase. "Mummy, tell him 'bout Hawwy Paw-er!"

_Is it always this easy?_ He thought as Jo blushed again. 

"Jessica!"

"Who's Harry Potter? A friend of yours?"

Mother and daughter stared at each other and Jessica smiled sweetly and reached for the briefcase once more. With a shake of her head Jo reached into the briefcase and withdrew a manuscript.

"This is Harry Potter. A boy who discovers he's a wizard at age eleven. But he's no ordinary wizard; he survived a killing curse at 18 months old that no one ever has survived before because of his mother's love. I'm trying to get it published, but so far, no one's been interested." She held the manuscript lovingly, almost as if it were a small child, and touched the cover reverently. "I've worked on this story for almost 6 years and now that it's done, no one wants anything to do with it. You know, the idea for Harry came to me on a train... why am I telling you this?" She stopped abruptly and put the manuscript back in the case. "You must think I'm mental or something."

Matt laughed, "No ma'am, I certainly don't. I think it's wonderful, tryin' to get yourself published. Must take a lot of patience."

"You have no idea," she chuckled. "I spend half my evenings walking Jessica in her push-cart till she falls asleep and then I go to the cafe to write. I've got to get it out of my head and on to paper; I can't not write. But as I said, no one seems interested in a boy wizard these days. I don't think I'll ever see my book on a shelf in a bookstore," she said sadly. 

"Well, do you have yourself an agent, Miss Jo?"

"I've not found one yet, no."

"I seem to remember reading about one the other day," he said casually. "Christopher Little Agency, I think it was..."

Jo sighed, "I appreciate your concern, Mr. Boyd, but..."

"What have you got t'lose?" Matt fired back. "Send them a few chapters and see what happens. You never know what may come of it." He glanced at the child beside her, happily coloring in her book once more. He had one more card to play and prayed he wasn't overstepping himself.

"Your little darlin' here watches you, and she knows Mr. Potter needs to be seen. You may want to give up yourself, but keep on going, for her sake."

Jo looked at her precious daughter, then back at Matt. "Mr. Boyd, where in America are you from?"

He looked shocked, not expecting that question. "Umm, Texas. Why do you ask?"

"Because you strike me as a take charge, no-nonsense kind of man. You not only look like an American Cowboy, but you act like one too. You have me... what is that expression? Oh! Hog-tied. Yes, you've hog-tied me, and even used my motherhood against me. Not that I'm complaining!" She reached over and touched his knee to silence his protest. "You've encouraged me, and I thank you for that. Now, do you happen to have the address for Christopher Little's Agency on you?"

After disembarking with Jo and Jessica and saying their goodbyes, Matt watched them head home and then checked the Omni. Red light.

"Now wait just a cotton-pickin' minute! I convinced her to send it..." he was cut off by the sound of a woman shouting.

"No! Let go... JESSICA!"

-O-

_Malta, 1980_

Bogg's heart was in his throat and he took off down the causeway and dove into the water without a second thought. Terry was right behind him, having left Bev with camera man Mike Roberts. Mike supported the distraught man and grabbed a radio to call the producer on the beach. "Maggie Smith and the boy Jeffrey were pulled into the water! Terry and Phineas went in after them!"

Cast and crew watched helplessly as the two men swam toward the two bodies as the waves pulled them further out. Phineas swam hard, fear driving him on. He lost sight of Jeff and Maggie and looked around frantically. Terry caught up to him and pointed off to the left.

"Over there! It's-"

Before he could say 'Maggie', Phineas dove underwater and swam hard through the waves toward the still form. Terry treaded water and scanned the area near the rocks. He heard someone cry out and turned toward the sound. He saw a flash of purple and called, "Hang on Jeff! I'm coming!"

The waves pushed them farther apart, but Phineas would not give up. He lunged forward once again and finally grabbed hold of the purple robe. His heart caught when he saw it was Maggie and not Jeff. She was floating face down, so he turned her over and kept her head above water as he swam towards the beach using the waves to propel him.

Medics were at the waters edge and the crowd cheered as they saw Phineas coming out of the water holding Maggie Smith in his arms. The medics rushed out to help them to shore, but as soon as he handed her to them, Bogg turned to go back for Jeffrey. Sir Lawrence Olivier grabbed the young man and with the help of Desmond, dragged him back to shore.

"Let me go! I have to save Jeff!"

The two men held fast and Sir Lawrence looked at him sternly. "You are in no condition to go back out there, young man. You've risked enough for one day, and Terry will find him, I promise you. We will wait with you." He put his hand on Bogg's shoulder and forced him to sit, then joined him. 

Bev pushed through the crowd and watched in fear as the medics lay his wife on the sand and performed CPR. Once they had revived her, Bev held her close, as much to reassure himself as her that she was safe. "My dear, sweet Maggie! I thought I lost you!"

Maggie was able to finally breathe easier and looked around, panic in her eyes. She pulled away from Bev, "Jeffrey! The boy tried to protect me! Where is he?" She struggled against her husband to stand.

"Terry and Phineas went in after the two of you; Phineas brought you in and Terry is..."

"I see them! Terry has Jeff!" Mike yelled to the crowd.

This time nothing could stop Phineas from charging back into the surf to meet them. Jeff was conscious and let himself be carried to shore. Bogg met them in waist deep water and grabbed Terry to keep him from falling as the waves rushed over them.

"Terry! Thank God!" He reached out anxiously to take Jeff in his arms. "Jeffrey..."

"Bogg?" Jeff turned his head and saw the fear in his friend's blue eyes. He reached for Bogg who grabbed him protectively to his chest.

"It's okay kid, I've got you."

Terry smiled at his friend. "He'll be fine. Swallowed some water and got scrapped up by the rocks, but I think he'll be fine. He's a strong young man."

Once out of the water, Bogg set Jeffrey down on the sand as the medics came over to tend to him. Phineas hovered like a nervous parent, and only when the medics said Jeff was fine did he finally start to relax. They walked back up to the set and were met by Maggie and Bev.

"Jeffrey, I want to thank you for what you did back there," Maggie said in her distinctive lilt. "Not many young men would try and protect an adult like you did, and I thank you for that." She kissed his cheek and caressed it gently, then turned to Phineas. "Mr. Bogg, you have a fine young man here. He is a direct reflection of his upbringing, and you have done a wonderful job with him."

She pulled him closer and kissed both cheeks. Phineas blushed. "I.. well, I uh... thank you, Ms. Smith."

Bev put his hand on Jeff's shoulder, "I can't thank you enough for what you did, young man."

Jeff tried to explain that he didn't do anything because they were still swept out to sea, but the man shook his head, "No, son. You did do something: You reacted bravely and without thought for your own safety. Had your uncle been there, he would have thrown himself over you and my wife, and the wave still would have carried you all off. You will be a fine man someday."

The couple thanked them again then walked back to Desmond, who had suspended filming for the day. Jeff sat down and stared out at the water. Phineas sat beside him and put his arm around him. "They're right, Jeff. What you did was brave; you acted like a man out there. I'm... I'm really proud of you, kid."

Jeff looked at his friend, "Kid? You tell me I acted like a man, then you call me 'kid'?" Phineas tried to defend himself and Jeff just smiled. "Don't worry about it, Bogg. I get it. Like you told me back at the Boyd's ranch, it's an endearment. You'll still be calling me kid when I'm 50."

"That's right. And don't you forget it!" Phineas looked back up at the causeway, replaying the horrifying scene in his mind and shook his head. "I'm just glad you're all right. I thought you'd made it back to the beach before that wave..."

"We tried, but there was so much confusion, and then when it hit..." his eyes clouded as he remembered, "I didn't even have time to think. I just pushed Ms. Smith down and covered her with my body, hoping we would be okay... I didn't even have time to be scared. I grabbed the side of the walkway, but that wave was so strong... the next thing I knew I was underwater getting bashed against the rocks. Ms. Smith must have hit her head or something because when I came up she was already unconscious. I tried to swim to her but..." he rubbed his head, "I think I hit the rocks, because the next thing I remember is Terry towing me back to shore." He looked up and Phineas saw in his smile a bit of embarrassment and pride. "Bogg, is it wrong to be proud of myself? I mean, not like, 'puffed up' or anything, but... "

Phineas drew him close, "No Jeff. There's nothing wrong with it. You did something at fourteen that you've never really been able to do before: you protected an adult. It's a pretty heady experience; why I remember when I was fourteen-"

"Bogg! Please, not another story!"

He laughed aloud, his tension finally easing to a bearable level. "Okay, okay. But seriously, you have every reason to be proud of yourself. Ya done good, kid."

"Cast, may I have your attention, please?" Desmond was back on his bullhorn, shouting over the wind. "Once filming resumes tomorrow, we will only be using the actors necessary for the scene. The rest of you will head back to England for the studio shoot. No one extra will be in any scenes they aren't scheduled to be in. Thank you."

"Well," Jeff said sadly, "there goes my career in movies." They both laughed, then Jeff said, "Hey, check the Omni! That might be what we were waiting for!"

Phineas removed it from his belt and opened it, water trickling out between the dials. It was dark for a moment, then the green light lit and the familiar chime sounded. "Well, assuming its not waterlogged, we've got a Green light." He shook the unit to dislodge the water inside. "What do you say to sticking around until after dinner? That'll give the Omni enough time to dry out I think."

"Sounds good to me Bogg."


	6. Chapter 5 Saving The Boy Who Lived

Chapter 5 

_December 5th, 2005 Fulham, West London, England_

As they walked to Dan's house, he pointed out various shops and stores they might need while in the area, and also some of the less desirable areas to avoid. As they passed the local cinema, Megan let out a gasp.

"_Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_! Oh my gosh I love those movies! Harry Potter is so--"

She was going to say, "Hot!", but then looked at the theater poster in shock. It was the same poster that hung in her room at VHQ, showing the Tri-Wizard Champions with Ron, Hermione and Harry, but instead of Dan's face staring back at her, Harry Potter was a boy named Gabriel Thomson.

Dan was glaring at the poster and stiffened at Megan's obvious interest in Harry. " 'Harry Potter is so...' what, Megan?"

Her face felt like it was on fire and she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Umm, so...much fun to watch. My- my dad and I fight over which is better: Harry Potter or Star Wars."

"Oh now there's a conversation I'd love to be privy to," Tracy said, laughing. She looked at the poster, and then to the young man beside her, "Wow. It's amazing how much you look like him Dan!" 

He smiled sadly, "Yeah, everybody says that. It's funny, that. Would you believe me if I told you I almost auditioned for that role?"

Megan tried to look surprised, even though she already knew that in his correct history, his parents had originally declined to let him audition because they wanted to protect him from the media spotlight, among other things. Only after much persuasion and promises of protection for their son did they finally relent.

"Really? That's so cool! So, what happened? If that's okay to ask?"

"It's no big deal, really. I'd done a couple of movies as a kid, and when they were looking for 'the perfect kid to play Harry Potter', several people suggested to my mum and dad that I looked just like Harry and I should audition. But," he sighed wistfully, "my mum didn't want me to be disappointed if I didn't get the part, 'cuz I really wanted it, you know? She's a casting director, my mum is, and told me that if I did get the part, I wouldn't be able to have a 'normal' childhood; that the media would be after me all the time and I'd never have a moments peace..." He sighed wistfully. "She says she's talked with Gabriel's mum and says that sometimes, she wishes she'd never let her son try out, either. My parents were actually approached by one of the Producers when we went to the theater one night, but they wouldn't even let me audition. I was really mad when they told me that after the first movie came out. I think it would have been wonderful to be Harry Potter. But," he said with a wicked smile, "I've more than made up for it by learning everything I possibly could about the books and movies. It drives my mum nutters!"

"I think you would have made a good Harry Potter," Megan said shyly.

They continued down the street, talking about all things Harry Potter, and discovered Aunt Tracy's knowledge was woefully incomplete. They therefore took it upon themselves to educate her on anything she ever wanted to know (or not know) about wizards, muggles, and He-who-must-not-be-named. 

"Jeeze, Dan! Just say Voldemort! It's not like he's real or anything!"

Dan shuddered, grinning. "Ohhh no. I can't. His name is as bad as an Unforgiveable Curse!"

Megan put her hands on her hips and mimicked his English accent. "I khan't, Mhay-gan! He'll get me for sure!" And they broke into peals of laughter. "At least I'm not as bad as some Americans who can't say Hermione. I read once that the whole reason Jo Rowling wrote the scene in _Goblet of Fire_ where Hermione teaches Viktor Krum how to pronounce her name was so the American audience would stop calling her 'Hermy-own'!"

Dan puffed out his chest and threw back his shoulders imitating Viktor Krum, and looked like he was concentrating very hard. Then, in a very good Bulgarian accent he said, "Your name is... Hermy-own?"

Tracy laughed and Megan did a dead-on impression of Hermione, "No, Viktor, it's Her-my-oh-nee."

"Herm-own-ninny?" He tried to look confused, but started to giggle instead.

'Hermione' gave an over-exaggerated sigh, "**No**... Her-my-oh-nee!" Then she started to giggle and dropped the accent and chanted, "Hermy-own! Hermy-own!"

Dan laughed harder at that. "I love how you say that Megan. You and your Aunt have the neatest accents..." He trailed off as he looked around. Tracy sensed a change in his demeanor and became more alert. "Um, ladies, I think we came one street too far. Turn left at this corner and we'll get back on track to my house."

"Lead the way, kind sir," Tracy said brightly, trying to cover her concern as she pulled Megan toward her. The flats looked a bit run down and seedy, and there were a few people on the street that looked less than desirable. "Well, at least now we know what part of town to avoid..."

The words were barely out of her mouth when two men stepped out into their path. Both were larger than Dan, and one of them had a knife. "Lookit wot da cat drug in mate!" said the larger of the two. "Two lovely lasses and a young whelp out for a stroll. Think they've got anythin' of value on 'um Lew?"

Dan stood between the men and the lady Voyagers and put his arms out to keep them back. He was very afraid, but would do anything and everything he could to protect them. "Leave us be," he said, his voice quavering more than he'd hoped. "We... we don't want any trouble."

Megan was too terrified to think. She clung to Tracy and felt her tense up as if preparing to fight. She wanted to cry, but tears would not come. She heard Dan tell the thugs to leave, and her fear quickly magnified. She suddenly wanted her dad to show up and save the day, and visualized him landing on top of the thugs, and she giggled. Tracy elbowed her in the ribs.

"Be quite!" She hissed.

"OOoooooohoooo! Lookit 'im all brave 'n strong, Jack! 'Ees gotta show 'is li'l crumpet an' her mum 'ow 'ee can protect 'um," Lew laughed. "C'mon and show us wot you've got, lad. We'll go easy on yeh!" Jack, the larger of the two lunged for Dan while Lew went for Tracy. Megan screamed and cowered behind Daniel.

Tracy grabbed Lew's knife hand and twisted hard, spinning him around. He cried out and swore, dropping the knife. She had already put about ten feet between them and was crouched in asian-style fighting stance. She beckoned to him and he charged the redhead, bellowing in rage.

Dan ducked as Jack grabbed for him, and the man sprawled out on the pavement a few feet from where Megan stood frozen in fear. "Megan run!" Dan cried as he jumped on Jack's back.

Tracy was ready for her attacker. Using his momentum against him, she grabbed his arm and flipped him over her head. He landed on his back with a satisfying thud and lay there dazed. She quickly grabbed the knife from the ground, grabbed Lew's left arm and pulled it up and flipped him onto his stomach, his arm behind his back and the knife at his neck. "Now, what were you saying about me and my niece," she growled dangerously.

Jack flipped over, throwing Dan off of him then grabbed the youth by the shirt front and put him in a head lock. "I'll teach yeh't fight back, yeh li'l git!"

But before he could get a punch in, Megan ran at him and started kicking and punching as hard as she could. "Let him go! Let him go!"

With his free hand he shoved her away and she landed on the ground hard.

Tracy looked up and saw the kids fighting Jack and she'd had enough. She pulled Lew to his knees. "Call your mongrel off my kids or I'll bleed you like the pig you are!"

"Oi! Take it easy lady! We wasn't gonna 'urt ya... oww! A'right! Jack! Let the whelp go mate! Let 'im go!"

Jack looked up and saw that the tables had been turned. He tossed Dan to the ground, turned back up the street and fled, leaving Lew in Tracy's grasp.

"Oi, mate! Jack! Yeh can't leave me 'ere! Jack!"

Tracy loosened her grip on the man and he instantly got up and took off running after his partner. Fire blazed in her eyes as she watched him run, then was brought back to reality by the sound of Megan crying.

She looked to her right and saw both kids sitting on the pavement, slightly bruised but otherwise not harmed. Dan had his arm around Megan, consoling her as Tracy drew near.

"Are you two okay?"

They looked up at her and Megan nodded as Tracy knelt down. They were both breathing hard and shaking, and she put her hand on Dan's shoulder. "That was a very brave thing you did, trying to protect us like that. Thank you." She drew him close and hugged him.

"Where did you learn to fight like that Trace," Megan asked in wonder.

"Actually, I'm not ... I mean ummm, I took lessons years ago."

Even though she did not remember her life prior to being a Voyager, Tracy knew as a Voyager Trainee that she had had serious martial arts training when she aced all her self defense classes. It served her well on past assignments, but she had never been more thankful for it than today.

"I think we'd better get up now; we're starting to attract attention," Dan said.

They quickly got to their feet and Dan led them to his house.

-O-

_London, January 10, 1996_

Matt was running full speed toward the last place he had seen Jo before her scream had faded into the city noise. The crowd parted and he saw Jo grabbing for her little girl as a man shoved her to the ground and started to run. His partner grabbed Jo's purse and briefcase and followed him. Jessica was screaming and Matt caught the man from behind and spun him around hard. He took advantage of the mugger's brief disorientation to grab Jessica from him. Before the man could react, Matt hit him in the jaw, knocking him out.

Jo caught up to them, followed closely by a Constable. "Jessica! My baby! Give me my baby," she cried as she reached Matt, who quickly handed the frightened child over to her mother. Meanwhile the Constable grabbed hold of the mugger on the ground, preventing his escape.

"Are you alright," Matt asked Jo.

"Now that my baby is safe ... Thank you Matt for saving my Jessica," Jo cried. "I can lose my manuscript, but not my daughter!"

Matt looked around frantically and saw the other man dash down the stairs to the underground. "You won't lose either," he said and took off after the second thief. He ran down the steps and onto the platform and looked around in dismay. There were hundreds of people on the platform, and he couldn't see his prey anywhere. He moved toward the loading points, glancing in open trash cans hoping to find Jo's purse or briefcase discarded there. He looked around the platform again and was about to head upstairs again when a small scuffle to his right caught his attention.

"Let go... Help! He's stolen my purse!"

Matt pushed his way through the crowd and recognized the man he was after running toward the opposite set of stairs, another pursuer hot on his heels. "Gotcha," he said grimly and charged through the crowd after the thief. The second man tackled the thief just before Matt got there and fought him for both purses. The thief let them go, grabbed the briefcase and started running again.

"Not this time," Matt roared and tackled him. He grabbed him like he might grab a calf to finish roping it, throwing him to the ground hard causing the briefcase to go flying. The thief struggled with the cowboy to no avail. Security came running and Matt hauled the man to his feet and pulled a quick punch to his solar plexus. "That was for attacking a woman and stealing her purse and briefcase. And this," he raised his fist, "is for Jessica!"

"Enough sir!" A security officer grabbed his arm. "Don't ruin your reputation on the likes of 'im," the officer said. "We'll take it from here."

Security took the man from Matt and led him away. He heard a train whistle down the tunnel just as the other man who had chased the thief approached him. "Well done, mate. I've looked for that briefcase, but I can't locate it anywhere."

"I saw something fall onto the tracks," a woman said.

Matt ran to the edge of the dock and saw Jo's briefcase lying on the tracks, a few papers scattered around. Without a second thought, he jumped down to retrieve the precious manuscript pages; the headlight of the train now in full view. Another piercing whistle sounded.

"Get outta there mate!" Several people had come to the edge of the platform trying to grab Matt out of harms way.

He grabbed the last loose page and the briefcase and handed them up to the man, then he climbed quickly up onto the platform as the train blew a final whistle announcing its arrival into the station. Matt's adrenaline was running fast and as the train pulled up to the platform, he grabbed the case and papers, clutching them to his chest as he closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing.

"That must be something incredibly important for you to risk your life like that, mate," the man said. "I've heard stories that cowboys were adventurous and daring, but I never would have believed it until now. And I thought I'd seen it all in Australia!"

Matt laughed and shook his head. He decided to play the cowboy role to the hilt. "It's just like ropin' calves back home. Keeps your reflexes fast and strong." The Aussie helped him up and Matt put the loose papers back into the case. "Thank you for helping me catch that guy. I don't know if I would have reached him before he hit the stairs if you hadn't tackled him."

"No worries, mate. He grabbed my wife, then her purse and, well, instinct kinda took over, you know what I mean?"

"Yes sir, I do," he said, remembering the look on Jo's face as she was attacked. Security came over to them along with the Constable who helped Jo.

"The lady and her daughter are fine, sir," he said to Matt. "She is at the top of the stairs looking for you. And if you two would be so kind as to come by the station to fill out a report..."

"Not a problem, mate."

"It would be my pleasure sir."

They set a time to meet and Matt walked back up the station to the entrance where Jo was waiting with Jessica in her arms. Matt held her briefcase out to her. "Well ma'am, I think this might have been Harry's biggest adventure so far."

Tears of joy glistened in her eyes. "I can not thank you enough for what you have done for me today. I wish there was something I could do to thank you--"

Matt held up his hand to silence her. "Ms. Rowling, the best possible thing you could do for me is to send Mr. Potter over to the Christopher Little Agency and get him published."


	7. Chapter 6 Things Beyond Our Control

Chapter 6 

_January 17, 2006 Fulham, West London, England_

After making a report with the police, the Radcliffe's, Megan and Tracy sat in the front room talking. Tracy commended Daniel once again for his bravery and keeping his head about him, and he in turn gave a glowing report of how Tracy disarmed Lew, and how Megan came to his defense.

"They were both brilliant, mum. Tracy here looked like something out of a kung fu movie! And I know Megan was scared, but when that stupid git grabbed me, she started beating on him and kicking him... he'll probably be limping for days!"

Megan blushed, smiling at him. "I really didn't do much, Mrs. Radcliffe. He shoved me away pretty fast..."

"But you tried, my dear, and that's what matters the most." She brushed her hand through her son's hair, resting it on his shoulder.

"What I want to know," Mr. Radcliffe asked, "is what you were thinking taking these ladies down Coventry Lane, young man."

"It's not entirely his fault Mr. Radcliffe," Tracy broke in. "We walked by the movie theater and saw the Goblet of Fire poster and the kids were going on and on about Harry Potter and we just kept walking without realizing where we were."

Marcia Radcliffe shook her head, "Daniel Jacob Radcliffe, what am I going to do with you? I can't wait until this whole Harry Potter business is over. One more book, three more movies, and then hopefully, peace at last."

"Well, if you had let me audition like the Producer wanted me too-" There was an unmistakable edge in his voice.

"Daniel, please don't start on that again!" Alan Radcliffe's voice was stern. "Your mother and I did what we felt was best for you at the time. They wanted us to commit to a 7 year contract, with all filming to be done in Los Angeles and we said no. End of story."

Dan glared at his father, "So is that why we didn't go to many plays after that dad? Because you were afraid someone would try and offer me the role of a lifetime?"

"Daniel Jacob! Apologize to your father at once!"

The family was on their feet, their guests trying to ignore what was obviously a recurring argument. "I could have been famous and traveled the world, but you didn't think I could handle it!"

"This is not the time or place for this, Daniel." His mother's voice carried all the authority of a 6'4" drill sergeant, more than compensating for her 5 foot stature. "Apologize to your father and our guests. Now."

He stared hard at his parents, clenching his fists in an effort to control his anger. He spoke through clenched teeth, "I apologize for being disrespectful, Dad." His eyes burned bright with frustration and he turned to Megan and her Aunt, "And I apologize to both of you," his tone softened, "for having to witness this. Now if you'll excuse me..." he walked out and went out the front door, closing it rather firmly behind him.

Alan Radcliffe moved to go after his son, but his wife put a restraining hand on his arm and shook her head. "Let him be, Alan. I'm going to assume this is more a reaction to the attack and trying to protect the ladies than anything else. Sit down, please." The last sentence was a command, then request. Alan looked at his wife and nodded, sitting across from Tracy once more.

"I'm sure my son has told you all about our over-protectiveness and how we prevented him from becoming a mega-star," he said dryly.

Tracy nodded, "Well, he did tell us how much he wanted the part; he said you'd been approached by a producer at a play..."

"Stones in his Pockets," Megan said quietly. She needed to get away from the adults; she was not going to cry in front of them again. "Mrs. Radcliffe? Where is the--" 

"Down the hall, second door on the left, love."

She smiled and got up. "Thank you."

Megan went down the hall and saw a shadow on the front steps. She approached the front door and quietly slipped outside.

"I didn't realize he was still that upset by our decision." Marcia held her husbands hand and sighed.

"I think," Tracy said, "that between the attack this evening and Megan's reaction to the Harry Potter poster, he's feeling a little... jealous maybe?"

"We never should have told him that we spoke to David Heyman at the show," Marcia said mournfully. "We just didn't want him to be exposed to all the hype and hysteria... I've talked to Gabriel's mum and she says it's just horrid at times."

"I'm sure you had your son's best interest at heart. He is a fine young man. Who knows what fame and fortune would have turned him into?"

Alan Radcliffe shook his head and stood once more, stopping at the fireplace. "His passion has always been acting. He pushed so hard for us to put his face out there; when he was nine he persuaded us to submit a Polaroid picture of him for the David Copperfield production... we should have known it wouldn't just go away..."

-O-

_June 18, 1943 Rothenberg, Germany_

Everything was going wrong, and Vivian Olsen was afraid. The Nazi's were storming the city, rounding up Jews from every quarter and she was trapped. She was supposed to be helping Levi Jacobson and his fiancée Tovah Gresham escape capture, but had been cornered with several other families by the SS.

"Halt! You all will put your hands up! Men to my left, women and children to the right!"

Levi gave Tovah's hand a squeeze and looked apologetically into Vivian's eyes. "You did your best. Thank you for trying." Tovah started crying.

"I will get you two out of here, Levi, I swear—" 

"No talking, Jewish scum!" Barked the German officer, waving his weapon at them. 

As they separated into groups, Viv heard an unmistakable whistling sound around her. She scanned the area, hoping the new arrivals would land safely.

The crowd gasped as a man and a young teen landed on top of the three SS officers. "Oooffph! Thanks for breaking our fall..." Phineas Bogg looked up at the group of people in front of him, then down at the man he landed on. "Uh oh, this can't be good."

"Bogg! These are Nazi's!" The fear in Jeff's voice galvanized him into action.

"Get out of here, people! Move it! Run!" 

Vivian looked in disbelief, "Phineas? Jeff..." She grabbed Tovah and shouted, "He's right! Run! Run and hide while you still can!"

The terrified people didn't need a second warning and they all ran down the alleyway past their saviors and the fallen soldiers. Bogg looked up at the woman who had taken charge and Jeff saw the shock on his face. "It's Vivian!"

She was calling for them to follow her, but the men beneath them were stirring. Bogg grabbed Jeff by the shoulders, "Jeff! Go with Viv! I'll take care of these goons. Don't try and argue with me, get outta here!" He shoved Jeff to his feet and yelled, "Take Jeff! I'm right behind you!"

"Jeffrey come on, hurry!"

The officer closest to him grabbed his leg, "Not so fast, little one-"

Phineas punched the German officer and gave Jeff a shove. "RUN!"

Jeff caught up with Vivian and as they climbed through a hole in the side of the building, he saw Bogg fighting the other two officers. _Please let him be okay_, Jeff thought as he followed the others further into the building. 

-O-

_Wednesday, January 10, 1996 London, England_

After filing a police report on the attack, Matt joined Jo and her daughter for dinner at their flat. "It's the least I can do after all you've done for us, Matt."

"I'm just glad I was there to help you out, Ma'am. Now just don't let all my hard work go to waste. Get that manuscript mailed out ASAP!"

He found a hotel for the evening, went up to his room and collapsed on the bed, letting his mind wander over the days events. He suddenly sat up and grabbed his Omni. "I can't believe I forgot to check this dern thing... well whaddaya know! Green light! Looks like a job well--" Just then the light went from green to red. "What the...?" He closed and re-opened the Omni, but it was still red. Concerned, he flipped open the guidebook to Omni Operations. After scanning the page, he found what he was looking for.

_**MULTIPLE ASSIGNMENTS IN ONE ZONE**_

_As a Voyager, you may have more than one Assignment in a particular Time Zone. Your Omni will alert you to a Red or Green situation for one Assignment at a time. Once the current Assignment gets a Green Light, the Omni will then flash Red to indicate the next Assignment is ready for your attention._

He sat down to study the Guidebook in regards to Jo getting an agent for the book and decided he needed to make sure the manuscript got into the right hands. The next morning, he looked up the Christopher Little Literary Agency and went to apply for a job.

"You need to speak with Mr. Walters, sir and he will be in meetings all day. You could come back tomorrow around 9am I'm sure he'd be happy to speak with you."

"Thank you very much..." he glanced at her nameplate on the front of her desk, "Nancy. I will do that."

Matt spent the rest of the day taking in the sights and planning the various ways he would make sure the manuscript was not left in the trash.

He went back to the agency Friday morning. "Good morning, Nancy. I'd like to see Mr. Walters about a position here, if you please."

The receptionist looked over her glasses at him, "I'm so sorry, Mr. Boyd. Mr. Walters has a terrible cold and will not be in today." She had a slightly condescending smile on her face and took great satisfaction in Matt's frustration.

"Well," he sighed heavily, "I guess I'll just hafta come back on Monday then, won't I?" Not wanting to wait over the weekend, Matt briefly considered omning forward to Monday the 15th, but was afraid something might happen if he did, so he decided against it.

A brief look of annoyance flitted across the older woman's face. "Yes. I believe you shall." As the door closed behind him, she sniffed disdainfully. "We don't hire cowboys here, Mr. Boyd."

Her intercom rang and she answered it, "Yes Mr. Walters? Of course sir. I'll be right in."


	8. Chapter 7 One Down, One to Go

Chapter 7 

_December 5th, 2005 Fulham, West London, England_

"Dan?"

"What." He rubbed his eyes and looked away.

Megan walked over to the step and sat beside him. "You really wanted to be Harry Potter, didn't you?"

He nodded, then hung his head. "I've always wanted to act, and when they told me that they'd been approached by the producer... they wanted **me**, Megan, ME! The Producer, the Director... hell, even Jamie Lee Curtis said I was the perfect Harry Potter. I saved my ticket stub from the play, so I'd always remember the day my life changed forever: July 7th, 2000. Why did they have to say no?" 

Megan's eyes widened in shock as Dan gave her the exact date of the meeting. She tucked a renegade strand of hair behind her ear and mentally thanked him profusely for giving her the coordinates she and Tracy needed for their next voyage. They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the city sounds before Megan finally broke the silence.

"You were really brave back there, protecting me like that."

He snorted, "Yeah, I beat the bloody hell outta both of those gits, didn't I?"

Her tone hardened to match his. "Yeah, well, I stood there like a block of ice and ran away about as fast. You at least made an effort to protect us from them."

"Bloody lot of good that did-"

"Like I made a dent in that guy? You told your parents 'she started beating on him and kicking him... he'll probably be limping for days!' Like I did any serious damage! Geeze Dan, he was almost as big as Hagrid!"

He was looking at her now, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth against his will. Seizing the opportunity, Megan jumped up and struck what she hoped was a good Superman pose: legs apart, hand on hips. "Lookit me! I'm SuperMegan! Able to kick and punch stupid gits and make them run away!"

Dan couldn't help but smile now. "So I guess that makes me SuperDan... able to duck through the arms of stupid gits and order SuperMegan to run!"

"Which of course she would never do if SuperDan were in trouble... who else would kick them into submission?"

They were both giggling now, and Megan sat down again. "You are a wonderful, kind, caring person, Dan. If you think I care if you're Harry Potter, Han Solo or some famous movie star, I don't. I'm really glad I met you today, even if it wasn't all wonderful, because I've met a really neat guy. And Gabriel Thomson has nothing on SuperDan."

"Thanks Megan. You're pretty cool yourself." Dan smiled, then noticed that Megan was shivering and put his arm around her. "You look half frozen; let's head back inside."

-O-

"I apologize for what I said earlier, mum and dad. And I apologize to you as well, Ms. Reynolds, for putting you and Megan in a very uncomfortable position."

Marcia nodded and held her hand out to her son. He walked slowly to her and took it and she drew him into a warm hug. "I know you are, love, I know."

"I'm proud of you, son," Alan clapped him on the shoulder. "We know you've been through a lot today, so we're going to let it go this time. But if you ever speak to us that way again..."

"Got it, dad. I promise."

Tracy looked at Megan and whispered, "Is he this 'normal' in his correct timeline?"

"Yup," Megan nodded with a smile. "All the articles and interviews said he was very grounded and not into all the trappings most famous kids fall into."

Marcia looked at her watch and gasped, "Oh goodness! Dinner!"

She ran into the kitchen as the men laughed. "That's mum for you. Nothing gets in the way of feeding the family."

After a wonderful meal and dessert, it was finally time for the ladies to take their leave of the family. Alan and Marcia expressed their gratitude again to Tracy and told her she and her niece were welcome guests anytime.

Dan walked them to the waiting cab and opened the door. "It was really nice meeting you, Ms. Reynolds. My mates are never going to believe me when I tell them what you did today!"

Tracy laughed and gave him a quick hug. "Well, then I'll just have to stop by some day and show them now, won't I?"

His face lit up, "That would be awesome! Could you, please?"

"I'm sure we could arrange something. Come on Meg, we need to get back to the hotel." Tracy slid into the cab leaving the teens alone on the sidewalk.

"Well, it was really nice meeting you, Megan. Here," he handed her a piece of paper. "Give me a call sometime and we'll get together for lunch or something."

Without thinking about it, she gave him a hug and then quickly kissed his cheek. "You bet I will! Thanks! And about what I said earlier, you know, you and fame and still being you... I really meant it."

Dan colored slightly, "Well, thanks. I figure I couldn't be any worse than Mr. 'I'm-Harry-Potter-and-you're-lucky-to-have-me' Thomson."

They laughed and Megan got into the cab. "Bye Dan!"

As the cab pulled away, Tracy turned to her Apprentice. "So, Miss Megan, when to?"

Megan laughed. "Cute, Trace. July 7th, 2000 New Ambassadors Theater, West End, London."

-O-

_Monday, January 15th, 1996, London, England_

Monday rolled around and Matt went back down to the agency, only to be turned away again. It seemed like no matter when he showed up, Nancy was there to inform him that Mr. Walters could not be seen for whatever reason.

On Wednesday, he got into a heated argument with the woman. "Look Ms. Nancy. I'm running out of time! I've **got** to get in to see Mr. Walters! I really need this job!"

"I'm sorry, sir, but he gave explicit instructions..."

"Then I'll sit here and wait for him to come out." He sat in a chair and grabbed a magazine, forcefully opening it. Had he been looking at her, Matt would have certainly seen daggers shooting from her eyes. After a minute of staring at the page, he tossed the magazine down and approached her desk again.

"Ya know, Ms. Nancy. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to get me to forget about this place." Her eyes narrowed as he continued. "But I've got news for you, little lady. I'm stickin' around until I get in to see Mr. Walters."

The small clock on her desk chimed the noon hour and she stood up haughtily, "Well, I have news for **you**, Mr. Boyd. This office closes for lunch from noon to 1:30, so unless you want me to call security, you'll have to leave."

Matt turned and stormed out of the building seething. He had a few choice words for the uppity Englishwoman, and his internal tirade carried him to a restaurant two blocks away.

He settled into a booth and stared at the menu, still fuming at his inability to get into the agency. Behind him, the waitress was talking to a customer who was obviously a regular.

"And 'ow's it goin' wif you, Ms. Evans? 'Ad any good books come through lately?"

"Too many to count, Alvina. The mail room is swamped and we don't have enough help down there to get stuff up to us on a daily basis. Mr. Little is starting to get angry. How hard is it to find someone who wants to work?"

Matt snorted and muttered, "Ask Nancy. She's sending us all away."

The blonde woman turned in her seat, "Excuse me? Did you say something to me sir?"

"You're from the Christopher Little agency, right?" The woman nodded. "Well, I've been tryin' t'get in to see Mr. Walters about a job for almost a week now, and that ... that... _woman_ has blocked me at every turn."

He mimicked Nancy's accent, " 'Mr. Walters is out sick today.' 'Mr. Walters is in meetings and can not be disturbed.' I'm not stupid, ma'am. I know a railroadin' job when I see one. That lady doesn't think I'm good enough for you 'cuz I'm an American or thinks I'm a hick of a cowboy, but let me tell you--"

"Sir, please!" Bryony held up her hand to silence him. "You say you've been trying to apply for a job for _a week_, and she won't give you an application?"

"That's right ma'am."

Bryony's eyes narrowed dangerously. "That two-faced... David Walters was out of the office on Thursday last, but he has been in the office every day since. Come join me, Mr...?"

"Boyd. Matt Boyd."

"Yes, Mr. Boyd, please join me for lunch and accept my sincerest apologies for your treatment by our staff."

Matt stared at her in wonder, then joined her table. "Thank you kindly, ma'am-"

"It's Bryony," she smiled. "Bryony Evans. But please, just call me Bryony."

Realizing who she was, he tried to keep the surprise from his voice, "Thank you, Ms. Bryony."

They spent a pleasant lunch together as Bryony interviewed Matt and asked about his background, why he was in England and the like. When they were done, she stared at Matt then nodded, as if a decision had been made.

"Yes, Mr. Boyd, I think you'll do very nicely. Let's head back to my office and fill out the necessary paperwork."

Matt blinked in surprise, "Y-You mean, I'm hired?"

She smiled back at him. "Yes, Mr. Boyd. On behalf of my boss, Christopher Little, I would like to welcome you to our literary family."

"Hot damn! Oh! I'm sorry, ma'am!" Matt blushed and Bryony laughed.

"No harm done, sir. I promise you, I've heard worse, and read worse than that!" She scooted out of the booth, "Let's go to my office by way of the front desk. Someone there will have some forms for you..." her eyes glinted wickedly and Matt smiled.

"Ya know, Ms. Bryony, I think I'm gonna like working for you."

They entered the agency talking and laughing. Bryony approached the receptionist, "Good afternoon, Nancy. Are there any messages for me or Mr. Little?"

"No, ma'am, there aren't --" she stopped short as she saw Matt standing behind Bryony and her eyes narrowed. "Umm, Ms. Evans, is this _gentleman_," she almost spit the word, "bothering you? Shall I call Security and have him escorted off property?" She reached for her phone. 

Bryony turned to look at Matt and winked at him, then faced Nancy again. "Who? You mean this gentleman behind me? Oh goodness no Nancy! This is Mr. Boyd. He is going to be one of our new readers and help out in the mail room."

The woman's face was a mask of shock, the hand holding the phone suspended two inches from her left ear. She tried to regain her composure, "Our... our new _reader_?" 

"Yes, that's correct. I interviewed him over lunch and he is more than qualified for the position. He's even offered to help out in the mail room to help get us back on track."

Just then the office door behind Nancy's desk opened and and a middle-aged gentleman walked up to Nancy and slammed down several applications. "Ms. Wellington, why is it that after two weeks of advertising in the papers, we **still** can not find any suitable candidates for mail room clerk?"

Matt kept his face impassive, and was struggling not to laugh at the woman's expense. Nancy looked from Bryony to Matt, then to Mr. Walters, fear and anger warring for dominance. "You told me, sir, to pre-screen the applicants, and I only sent you the ones I thought were-"

"Well, if this is what pre-screening gets me, Ms. Wellington, then stop it at once. Whoever walks in looking for work, give them an application, is that clear?"

Nancy glared at Matt as she answered her boss, "Yes sir, Mr. Walters."

As he walked back into his office, Bryony made her parting shot. "Matt, if there's anything you need, just let Nancy know. That's what she's here for, right Nance?"

Bryony waited long enough to see the woman turn a lovely shade of puce before walking toward the elevators. "Come along, Mr. Boyd. We'll take the lift to my office on the 4th floor."

Once the doors slid shut, they burst into laughter.


	9. Chapter 8 Protecting the Innocent

Chapter 8 

_June 18, 1943 Rothenberg, Germany_

"Where are we," Jeff asked a few minutes later. They had gone through several rooms and up to the second floor and climbed into a closet that had a false wall. Beyond was a small room stacked with supplies. Vivian slid the panel shut, and placed a large piece of wood across the panel to secure it in place.

Tovah's eyes widened, "I had heard about these safe rooms, but I did not realize we had them here! I never thought I would have to use one..." she broke down and Levi went to her and held her.

Jeff looked at Viv and whispered, "So, what happened? What's your assignment here? Who are they?"

"They are going to be the grandparents of an English actor who makes a whole series of blockbuster movies, among other things. They were supposed to be out of the country by now, but somehow that got screwed up, so now I have to get them to safety." She checked her Omni, which was still red. "If we can just get through this sweep safely, I've made contact with the underground to get them into Switzerland. The trick will be avoiding..."

"Someones down stairs," Levi hissed. They all moved to the back of the small room and listened, praying they would not be caught. They almost screamed when machine gun fire went off in the room below. They could hear the SS officers tearing the place apart, and they froze in fear when they heard footsteps heading their direction.

"I have heard there are secret rooms, Hans. Do you think they might be hiding in one here?"

"It is entirely possible, Olaf."

The men scanned the room as they entered. Olaf threw open the closet door and scrutinized the walls. "I wonder if anything is back there. Shall I check?" His sadistic grin was matched by Hans, who hoisted his weapon, ready to fire.

Before they could do more than that, they heard a call from downstairs. "Olaf! Hans! We've found some of those filthy Jews! Come help us, quickly!"

The two men turned and ran down to the first floor. The four friends hardly dared to breathe, not believing their good fortune. They heard a scuffle and some muffled shouts, then all was quiet in the house.

After another 10 minutes, Jeff was the first to speak, his voice barely loud enough to hear. "How do we know when it's safe to come out?"

Vivian shook her head. "I'm certainly not going out there now! Someone could be waiting for us! Let's wait until morning. We stand a better chance that way."

Just then they heard a door close downstairs and heard someone call out. They heard the newcomer walking from room to room calling softly, but could not understand what was being said. Once again, they heard someone enter the room and they didn't move. Jeff held Viv's hand tightly, knowing the two of them had to protect the others, no matter what.

-O-

_July 7th, 2000, New Ambassadors Theater, West End, London_

"Two tickets, please."

Megan was bouncing on her heels in excitement and Tracy just shook her head. She walked away from the box office with two tickets to Stones in his Pockets for that evening and smiled. "My Precious..."

Now Tracy laughed. "You and your dad, I swear! Star Wars with him, now Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings with you?"

"It's a fabulous book and an amazing movie; I've read it once and seen it 4 times, and I love it! Gollum has his Precious, and I have mine..."

"And who would that be? Aragorn perhaps? Or maybe the elf? Or how about our current assignment...?" The teen blushed bright red and laughed as they got into line with the other early arrivals.

Megan kept looking around anxiously, "I hope the Radcliffe's get here soon! Dan was so cute when he was a little boy!"

"Shhhhh! Keep your voice down!"

Megan rolled her eyes and tried to take in the scenery around her, trying to remember every bit of it. "Well, at least it's not as cold as it was when we were here before," she said with a smile. "I just wish they'd let us in soon!"

"As you wish," Tracy replied as the line started to move.

"Thank you Wesley," Megan grinned. "But if you start calling me Buttercup..."

-O-

The lobby was crowded at intermission, so the lady Voyagers sat on the staircase off to the side of the main entrance to watch for the Radcliffe's. They were talking animatedly about the show when suddenly Megan gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth to muffle her shriek.

"Where are they," Tracy asked, knowing exactly what Megan saw.

Megan pointed off to the right, near the concession stand. Tracy saw Alan Radcliffe talking with two other men while Marcia had walked a much younger Daniel over to a bench near the restrooms. "Time to set things right my dear. Are you ready?"

Megan nodded and took a deep breath to steady her nerves as they descended the stairs.

Marcia had returned to the three men and they could hear her say, "Thank you, Mr. Heyman and Mr. Kloves, but the answer is no. I will not subject our son to the media blitz that will certainly hit. Nor will we uproot him to Los Angeles."

"And," Alan cut in, "you're asking a bit much for us to commit to a 7 movie deal. I'm sure Mr. Columbus has someone else in mind for the part, because it will not be my son."

Tracy looked at Megan in trepidation, and the teen widened her eyes, raising her eyebrows and giving her head a slight jerk toward the group, then walked over to the bench where Dan sat.

She plunked herself down hard, causing the ten year old to rise and fall in his seat as she sat down. Startled, he looked at the older girl and gave her a sweet smile, which she returned. Her heart was racing, knowing what hung in the balance.

"Hi."

"Hello."

"Are you enjoying the play?"

"Oh, yes, very much! My mum told me that only 2 people played all the different parts, but I didn't believe her." He dropped his voice to a whisper, "I thought she was mental."

Megan laughed, "Yeah, my Aunt told me the same thing and I told her that there was no way two guys could pull off all those characters, but they have! I loved it when the one guy put on those red heels and the red hat--" 

"I know! And how 'she' kept after the director of the movie to use her in that one scene..."

They laughed and Megan glanced over at Tracy, who had the group's undivided attention. "So, where are your parents?"

He pointed to where Tracy was standing with the Radcliffe's, David and Steve Kloves. "That's them over there with the ginger haired lady and those two men. My mum said they had to talk business and brought me over here to wait. Why can't grown-ups just have a fun night out, without work?"

Megan shrugged. "I dunno. Grown-ups seem to do a lot of things that don't make sense. Take my Aunt for example. She's been busy for weeks trying to find the perfect kid to play Harry Potter for the new movie they're making. I don't get to see her much because of it. Anyway, we finally get a night out, just the two of us, and she runs into someone associated with the casting process and she just had to talk to him. Like I want to listen to them talk shop! That's why I came over here, because you looked as bored as I felt." 

The young boy smiled, nodding, then leaned toward Megan slightly, his voice low. "You want to know a secret?"

She smiled and leaned into him, "Yeah!"

"Well, I'm trying to convince my parents to let me audition for Harry Potter. I've already done David Copperfield and The Tailor of Panama, so I know all about filming. Jamie Lee Curtis even told my mum that I look like Harry Potter and that she should consider letting me audition." The child's eyes shone with excitement and determination, "I know I could be Harry Potter, I just know it!"

It was the weirdest sense of deja vu Megan had ever experienced: Not even 4 hours ago, a sixteen year old Dan had told her almost the exact thing. She looked at the young boy and smiled.

"You're in movies?" The boy nodded as she continued. "Wow. That must be a lot of fun. You know, I could see you as Harry Potter. You have the right look."

He smiled again, "Lots of people have told my mum and dad that. I just hope they let me audition!"

"Maybe I could help you out. You know, mention it to your mom when we head back in for the second act-"

The boy's eyes widened, "No! I-I mean, no, thank you. It's not a subject she likes to discuss. They don't want me to get my hopes up, but I don't care. I'll just have to find another way to convince her."

"Oh, okay. By the way, my name's Megan. What's yours?"

"I'm D--" he stopped short, seeing his mother eye him sternly he and scooted closer to the edge of the bench, a look of worry on his face. "I'm sorry. I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," and he turned away from her.

The shock of that statement resonated through Megan like a gunshot, and she flushed bright red. She certainly had never been considered a threat to anyone before!

"Oh... I-I'm sorry." She looked down at her lap, unsure of what to do next. She thought she heard her name called and looked around, focusing on Tracy who was motioning for her to come over to the group. She noticed that Daniel had already gotten up and was walking over to his mother who was holding out her hand for him to take. She glanced back at Tracy, who had a huge smile on her face.

When she joined the group, they were saying their goodbyes, and Alan said to the two men, "We will talk this over and give you a call tomorrow."

"Thank you so much, Ms. Reynolds," Marcia said as she shook Tracy's hand, "for being so considerate of our feelings and concerns. I will seriously consider what you and Mr. Heyman have offered."

As the group dispersed, Megan looked at Tracy in shock. The lights dimmed, signaling the end of intermission, so they headed back to the auditorium.

"Just what did you say to them?"

Tracy beamed. "Telling them I worked with Director Chris Columbus was a brilliant idea, Meg! I told them I'd just had a meeting with him today and that I was going to meet with David tomorrow about convincing the Radcliffe's to let Daniel audition, but when I saw David and Steve in the crowd, I decided it couldn't wait. I begged forgiveness for the interruption and then told them that Chris had heard the Radcliffe's were known to be very protective of their son and may have some serious misgivings about letting him audition for the part. I also mentioned that Chris wants Daniel so badly that he would be willing to work with the Radcliffe's in regards to contracts and security measures. And of course, his parents heard every word," she winked slyly as they took their seats.

"And that's it? They agreed just like that?" Tracy grinned and started flipping through her program, eliciting a frustrated growl from Megan. "Tracy," she hissed, "How did you do it? What happened next?"

"Well, once I 'realized' it was the Radcliffes David and Steve were talking to, I played on their parental instincts and used their own correct history against them. I said I didn't blame them for wanting to protect their son and commended them for raising such a fine young man. I also told them that they should trust him, even at the tender age of ten, and to give him a chance to show what he's made of. I think my best line was, 'If his performance in David Copperfield is any indication, he has a wonderful career ahead of him.' " 

The lights were lowered and the music for the second act started, causing Megan to give a small cry of frustration. "But," she fought the urge to shout, "But! Did we do it? Will they let him audition now?"

"Check your Omni, my young Padewan."

Megan smacked her forehead and pulled the device from her purse and opened it. The Red light blinked back at her and she snapped it closed with a heavy sigh. "What more do we have to do?"

"Just enjoy the show," Tracy whispered. "Still moments like this don't happen very often when you're on assignment. I'm sure things will work out fine."


	10. Chapter 9 Success!

Chapter 9 

_June 18, 1943 Rothenberg, Germany_

"Jeffrey?"

Viv grabbed Jeff's hand and shook her head hard, then put her finger to her lips. He knew she thought that maybe Bogg had been caught and the SS were using him to find them. Tears pooled in his eyes at the thought, but he knew Levi and Tovah's safety was more important than anything. He heard Bogg call him again.

"Jeff? Vivian? Please! I'm alone.. it's safe."

Phineas knew they had to be in the house and tried another tactic. He walked out of the room to the landing and called out, "Hey, kid, we've got a Green light! Listen!" He opened his Omni and held it up to magnify the chime.

Jeff looked at Vivian, his eyes large and intense. His look indicated he believed Bogg was alone, but she still held his hand and shook her head, then looked over at the young Jewish couple. Jeff hung his head and tried to think of a way to make Viv believe it was safe. He whispered in her ear, "He wouldn't pull out the Omni if he'd been captured! Please Vivian!"

"Viv, please. The coast is clear." _C'mon Phineas! Think of something they will trust_! He wracked his brain then snapped his fingers as the solution hit him. 

"Umm... Viv? If Jon were here, he'd tell you to trust the Force. Use the Force and see... umm.. see that it's just me. You're a ... a .. oh what was it called.. a Jedi! Right! You're a Jedi and can tell—"

He heard a noise come from the room he'd just left and ran back in. The back wall of the closet was sliding back and revealed the four people inside. Jeff tackled Bogg in a hug as the others stepped out of their hiding place.

"Easy there Jeff! I'm glad to see you too!" He smiled as Jeff released him and turned to Vivian. "That was some escape you guys made! Good thing we showed up when we did, huh?

"You can say that again, Phineas! You're timing couldn't have been more perfect. But the better question of the moment is: how did you escape capture?" 

"I'll tell you on our way out. They'll be back before long. Close up that hiding place and let's go!"

The made their way cautiously outside and Vivian led them to the home of the underground contact she had made. They sat in the small but comfortable living room and Bogg filled them in on his fight with the other officers and how he hid in a large crate when he heard reinforcements coming.

"I figured they wouldn't look for someone hiding in the alleyway since everyone had run away and I'd be safe. The officers swarmed the area, and some went through the same hole you did. I almost came out of hiding when I heard the gunfire but forced myself to stay hidden. After about 5 minutes they came out with five or six people and led them away; I was so relieved to see none of them was you." He put his hand on Jeff's shoulder, then continued.

"So I waited about 10 minutes until I knew the coast was clear, I went in to find you and well, you know the rest."

Levi stood and extended his hand to Phineas. "Thank you from the bottom of a young man's heart. If they had taken my Tovah... I don't know where you and your nephew came from, but we owe our lives to you and Vivian."

Phineas shook the young man's hand and Viv gave him a hug. "Well, you two are in very good hands now. Go get some rest."

"Thank you again, Vivian," Tovah said and kissed both her cheeks. "You are a brave woman."

They went to the back room to rest and Vivian opened her Omni, which was now green. "I don't know how you two did it, but thanks a lot. You really saved our lives back there. And I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get outta here."

"Me too," Jeff seconded. "Good to see you again, Viv. Take care, okay?"

"You got it, Jeff." Viv opened her Omni to set the coordinates, then snapped it shut. "I think I'll go on Automatic this time. Maybe I'll get lucky and land in Matt's assignment..." She winked at the boys and then was gone.

"She sure is a fiesty one," Phineas said smiling. "I think Automatic will work for us as well."

And with a push of the button, they were gone.

-O-

_January 17, 1996, London, England_

"And so, Mr. Boyd, I think that about covers it. Oh goodness, it's 4:45 already? Time certainly does fly, doesn't it?"

"You have no idea," Matt laughed as he stood and stretched. "I think I'll just--"

"BRYONY!" They both jumped as Mr. Little came out of his office with a large stack of manuscripts and dropped them in the reject box. "How many times do I have to tell you: We do **not represent children's authors**! Now, please do me a favor and get rid of these things, and this time," he wagged a warning finger at her, "no 'rescue missions'! If I put it in the reject box, you leave it in the reject box. Is that understood?"

She had fully recovered her professional demeanor and nodded curtly, "Yes, Mr. Little sir. Sir, if I may, this is Mr. Matt Boyd and he'll be-"

Chris Little stuck out his hand, "Yes, Boyd. Well met." He turned back to his assistant, "Don't forget to contact Dixon about chapters 17 and 18; we've got to get that final draft by next week or the book isn't going to get published. I'll see you in the morning. Good evening to you both."

Matt stared after the man and shook his head. "I guess you don't get to be top dog by taking it easy, do ya?"

Bryony laughed, "He's a lot of bark and very little bite. Knows what he wants and how he wants it and if things are done his way, life is good. It's such a pity though," she swept her hand toward the stack of stories in the reject pile, "all these stories turned away because they're written for children."

"Why won't he represent children's books?"

"He says they're a waste of our time and resources. Truthfully, there isn't a lot of money to be made in children's books, and Mr. Little wants to make his pounds count. Every once in a while I try to sneak one in, but this time, these people are out of luck."

Matt shook his head sadly and looked over the pile. His heart stopped when he recognized Jo's handwriting on the envelope second from the top. Bryony had gathered her things and was standing by the open door waiting for him; it was now or never.

"Ms. Bryony, would you mind if **_I_** took a few of these back to my place? Kinda give me a warm up to reading the other manuscripts you want me to look at?"

She looked at him in surprise, then smiled, "I'll wait for you at the lift while you get your things, Matt." She winked at him as she walked out the door.

With a sigh of relief, he grabbed the envelope and opened it, pulling out a black binder with a clamp mechanism holding the pages together and read the title: _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_. "Score one for the good guys," he said quietly as he slipped it back inside its envelope. He took three more envelopes and walked out the door, confident his assignment was almost done.

The next day, Matt caught up with Bryony as she was going to lunch. "I've got a ton to do so I'm taking a short lunch, but I thought you might like to see this." He handed her the black-bound manuscript. "Read it on your lunch, and I promise you won't be disappointed."

"_Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_, is it? Well, since it came recommended from a Reader, I'll just have to take a look now, won't I," Bryony grinned. 

Matt smiled as she walked away, knowing full well what color his Omni would be when he opened it. "But I'm gonna wait till she gets back, just to be on the safe side."

Later that afternoon as he was delivering the mail, he stopped by Bryony's desk. "So, what did you think?"

"I thought it was brilliant! And the humor! I have to ask for the rest of this story! And, I ran into another reader that Chris respects and gave it to her to read as well. I knew I'd done the right thing in hiring you Matt!"

He blushed slightly at the praise, "Well, I'm glad somebody thinks so..."

"Bryony, this story is amazing!" Matt was almost knocked over by Fleur Howle, another reader. "You absolutely _must _tell Chris to read this! But not before you get the rest of the story. This Jo Rowling is a wonderful writer!"

"Well, I'll leave you two ladies to chat. I've got more mail to deliver."

He walked down the hall and glanced at the Omni. The Green light chimed and he let out a satisfied sigh. "Now that's more like it. It's a shame I can't stay, but my work here is done." He finished emptying the mail cart and with a final look around, he took out his Omni, made sure the coast was clear, and headed off into the cosmos.

-O-

_July 7th, 2000, New Ambassadors Theatre, West End, London_

After the final curtain call, the ladies headed back out to the lobby and were met by Steve Kloves and David Heyman.

"Ms. Reynolds, I can't tell you how happy I was to have you show up tonight," David said. "What are the odds that I would have met the Radcliffe's and you here tonight?" 

Megan smiled and Tracy merely shrugged. "Seems like Luck was certainly a Lady tonight, huh?"

"Apparently so," Steve laughed. "I'm just glad I'm writing this thing and not casting it. I certainly don't want to be in your shoes!"

David nodded and winked at Megan, "Yeah, he'd be swimming in my shoes! But seriously, when Chris told me Daniel's parents would be difficult, I had no idea _how_ difficult they would be. I'm glad you and Chris discussed the boy's protection and let me how we would shield him from the media; those ideas you laid out were brilliant! Of course, knowing the plans ahead of time would have made things easier this evening... " 

"That's true," Tracy replied, "but look at it as a challenge: It's your job to convince two loving, protective parents that their son has what it takes to be a star; that he is Harry Potter. And, you have to make them feel that you will do whatever it takes to protect their son." 

Megan nudged Tracy and said, "Watch out, guys. Here they come!" The adults turned to see the Radcliffe's emerge from the theater.

"That would be our cue to leave. Ladies," they both made a small bow and headed out the door.

"There she is mum!" Dan was pulling his mother toward Megan and Tracy, his father a short distance behind them. "Megan! Wasn't this just the greatest play ever?"

Megan blushed slightly, "Umm, yeah, it sure was. So, I guess I'm not a stranger anymore?"

The child blushed and his parents laughed. "Daniel, what are we going to do with you? Alan, I'm going to head to the car. We'll meet you there."

"Why can't we stay? I want to talk to Megan some more!"

"Not now, young man. It's late," his mother stated firmly. She turned to the others, "It was wonderful to meet you Ms. Reynolds. We might be seeing you again in the near future. Come along Daniel."

"Good bye, Megan! Watch for me in Tailor of Panama!"

"I will, and I'll also be looking for you in Harry Potter as well!" 

Daniel looked horrified at those final words and looked at his mother, expecting anger. He was surprised to see her almost smiling at him as she turned to face Megan.

"Were you two talking about Harry Potter?" She glanced meaningfully at her husband, then back to Megan.

"Umm, yeah. He was telling me about being in movies and how he really wants to audition for Harry Potter." Throwing caution to the wind she added, "And I told him I think he'd be a wonderful Harry. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Megan. It's just funny how Harry Potter seems to be a recurring topic for us, that's all," Mrs. Radcliffe reassured her, then turned and walked off with her son.

As they walked away, Alan Radcliffe took Tracy's hand in his own. "We are very cautious when it comes to our son, Ms. Reynolds, and we'd hate to expose him to all the hype only to have his hopes dashed or worse yet, have him become tabloid fodder. You have certainly given us a lot to think about in regards to all our concerns, and Marcia and I both thank you for the concern you have shown in regards to our son. It is refreshing to see that some studios still care for the child and not just the money the child can make for them."

"It was my, and our, pleasure Mr. Radcliffe. And rest assured, when Mr. Columbus said he would do anything to secure your son as Harry Potter, he meant it."

Alan smiled then nodded to both ladies, bade them farewell, and followed after his wife and son.

As he walked away, Megan pulled the Omni from her purse and tried to contain her joy when she was greeted with a Green light. "We did it! Yes!" Her smile faltered, then faded from her face. "Or, you did it, Trace. I didn't do anything. Some first assignment..."

"You did plenty, young lady! First of all, it was you who figured out what, or rather who, our assignment was, not me. You then won the trust of 16 yr old Daniel and got the correct date to come to the play so we could convince 10 yr old Dan's parents to let him audition. You encouraged the younger Dan in front of his parents, pushing them toward letting him audition."

She put her hand on Meg's shoulder. "You know his history, you know him, and I could not, I repeat, _could not_ have done this on my own." Megan blushed and Tracy laughed. "Ya done good, kid. Now, put that baby on Automatic and lets see where we land next!" 


	11. Chapter 10 Mission Accomplished

Chapter 10

_Monday, July 9th, 2007, Los Angeles, California_

"Someone's _got_ to do something about these landings! I'm getting too old for this," Bogg groaned as he rolled off the pile of black trash bags in the back alley. "Hey Jeff, where-"

A high-pitched whistle and Jeff's cry of "Incoming!" cut him off as he pressed himself against the wall to avoid the new arrival. With a loud thud and the popping of a full bag of trash, the newcomer lay motionless, winded by the landing.

"Matt! What are you doing here?" Jeff cried as he climbed over the bags. "Hey, are you okay?"

The cowboy opened his eyes when he heard the familiar voice. "Jeffrey?" He looked up into dark, concerned eyes and smiled. "Well, hello there stranger! Fancy meetin' you here."

Phineas came over and pulled him up. "Nice landing there, Tex," he laughed. "Still not quite used to it yet are ya?"

Matt shook his head, "Nope. But it gets a little easier every time."

"If you _gentlemen_ are finished, could I please get some help here? I'm a bit... stuck..."

The men spun around, startled by the woman's call for help. After a moment of searching, they saw her dangling from the edge of a second floor window by the back of her jacket.

"Don't move, Viv! We'll get you down!"

The men climbed over the rubbish to the side of the building. Phineas climbed the drainpipe so he could give her some support to get out of her jacket. Jeff had joined Matt and the two of them had joined hands and stood underneath Viv, ready to catch her between them.

"Hang on Viv, I'm going to grab your legs so--" Her jacket suddenly gave way with a loud ripping sound. Phineas reached for her but missed and she fell with a scream into Jeff and Matt's arms, knocking them to the ground.

Phineas jumped down and ran to the trio. "Are you guys all right?"

"I'm... fine, thanks..." Viv had landed on top of Matt when they fell and she smiled at him dreamily. "You make a nice landing pad, Matt. And Phineas," she said with a smile, "didn't I say I wanted to land in Matt's assignment? Landing _on _him wasn't so bad either..."

Matt and Jeff blushed and Bogg cleared his throat loudly. "Umm, yeah. What about me? I climbed that drainpipe to save you!"

Viv winked at Matt as she got up and brushed herself off. "Well, if you'd actually managed to save me..." she paused and cocked her head, listening hard. "Uh oh... another incoming!"

The whistling got louder and was accompanied by a shriek as two more Voyagers landed in the alleyway.

"What is it with landing in alleys and in trash? I'd prefer to land on a mattress or at least some hay... Hey! What are you guys doing here?" Megan scrambled off the bags she'd landed on.

"Well hello beautiful," Phineas said as he helped Tracy out of her pile.

Tracy looked from face to face in shock, then flipped open her Omni. "What are we all doing in Los Angeles, July 9th, 2007?"

Jeff looked shocked, then nervous. "Two thousand seven? _**Bogg**_...?"

"Don't worry kid, I'm sure there's an explanation, we just need to find it."

Viv glanced around, "I'm 60 plus years into my future, but this still looks rather familiar..."

"But why are we all here together?" Matt asked.

"Grauman's Chinese Theater!" Viv pointed across the street. "I knew this looked familiar! We used to come here for movies all the time! Wow...and look at that crowd! Something big must be happening. C'mon kids, lets go see what's going on!" Viv held out her hands to Jeff and Megan who each took one and they started off toward the theater.

Matt shook his head, "I swear, she's nothing but a big kid herself sometimes." The three friends followed after the others when suddenly Megan let out an ear piercing scream.

"Tracy! **Look... **at the... oh my gosh! It's...!"

The men started running the moment she screamed and stopped short, looking to where she pointed. At the top of the theater was a humongous larger-than-life movie poster for _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_. Above the poster was a banner reading: _**Come see Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson at Grauman's Chinese Theater**_. Below the movie poster was another large banner:

_Sunday, July 8 7:00pm __**U.S. PREMIERE**_

_Come early to enjoy all the Exciting Star Arrivals! _

_Monday, July 9 10:00AM __**HAND/FOOT/WAND PRINT CEREMONY**_

"Megan, don't scare us like that," Phineas chided her. "If you are going to scream, you'd better be in serious trouble-"

"Or falling out of your jacket from a second story window," Matt finished.

"I liked that jacket," Vivian said wistfully.

Jeff laughed, "You looked like the Scarecrow from _The Wizard of Oz_!"

While the others bantered at Viv's expense, Tracy glanced sternly at Megan, "I _told you_ to be careful about screaming, hon. Now... good lord will you look at all those people! And will you look at Dan! That poster looks much better with him on it than the _Goblet of Fire _poster did with Gabriel."

"Can we go watch, please Tracy? I won't scream, well, unless other girls are then I'll fit in! And I can show you now how the movies didn't change him, and--"

"Hold up there, girl!" Matt cut her off, still staring at the larger-than-life movie poster. "That does say _Harry Potter_, right?"

Vivian nodded. "Yes, sir, it does!"

"Well, I'll be... she really did it!"

"She, who?" Viv's eyes narrowed jealously.

"Jo did. Jo Rowling! My assignment was to make sure the manuscript for Harry Potter found an agent and got published in England first and not the US."

"It was never published first in the US, Matt," Megan said. As she launched into the history of the Harry Potter books Jeff and Tracy rolled their eyes and smiled. They both heard this more than once, which was more than enough.

"We get it, Meg, we get it," Jeff said as he clamped his hand over her mouth. "Publishing in the US first was _obviously_ a Red light so Matt went back and fixed it. That's what we do, we're Voyagers, remember?"

She had spun out of his grasp and stuck her tongue at him, and he replied in kind.

"Please Tracy? Can we **please** go watch them? And then, maybewecouldgoseethemovie?"

The adults laughed and Tracy sighed. "Megan, you are incorrigible! You obsess over Dan at home, you meet him at age 16 in a Red light zone--"

"So your assignment dealt with Harry Potter too?" Matt asked.

Megan nodded, "Yeah. Dan's parents didn't let him audition so he never got the part. He was working at McDonald's in London, which, by the way Jeff, does have great food! Anyway, we met him and he walked us over to his house and we got mugged on the way and--"

"What!?!?"

Megan and Tracy jumped as everyone shouted at once and started asking questions. Finally Tracy got a word in, "Enough! Good Lord people! We are FINE! I know karate and I easily dealt with one attacker, and he called off the guy who was picking on the kids then they both ran. We weren't hurt, we went back to Dan's house, end of mugging story!"

"So, then what happened?" Jeff asked.

"We went back to the year 2000 to make sure his parents let him audition," Tracy replied. "Now can we PLEASE cross over to the theater before Megan can't see Her Precious and I have to listen to her whine about it for days?"

They all stared at her in silence a moment until Jeff said, "Her _Precious_?" He started to laugh, "I can see it now: Megan wearing Daniel Radcliffe around her neck! She'd never take him off!"

They all laughed and crossed the street to try and get a good spot for the ceremony. The kids weaseled their way forward into the crowd, but not before Jeff took Bogg's Omni. "If we get lost or in trouble, we'll set it for VHQ, locate you guys then come back to you, okay?"

"That kid is too smart for his own good," Bogg said as they ran off for a better view. "So, Matt, we heard about the girl's assignment, what did yours involve?"

He told them about landing on the train and meeting Jo Rowling, the attempted abduction of Jessica and manuscript snatching, and saving the manuscript from the oncoming train.

"You'll _definitely_ have to fill Megan in on that," Tracy said with a smile. "That's one piece of history I KNOW she doesn't know!"

"Yeah, well, then should I tell her that it was _me_ who pulled the manuscript from the reject pile and gave it to Bryony?"

They looked at each other and said in unison, "Nah!"

They laughed and noticed the crowd starting to cheer. "Looks like this show's about to start," Tracy said as an older gentleman in a light colored suit took the stage.

-O-

Megan and Jeff managed to get to the front of the barricade in front of the podium. Jeff looked around in awe. "I know you said Harry Potter was a big deal, but I didn't know it was _this _big!"

Megan was flushed with excitement and Jeff could see her hands shaking. "Megan, am I going to have to call a doctor?"

"No.. no.. I'm good. He's just a normal kid. Breathe Megan, breathe..."

Jeff just shook his head and gently shoved her. "Tracy's right. You are incorrigible!"

She grinned and poked him back. "So, what was **your** first assignment as an Apprentice?"

"I got to be in a movie!"

"Liar. You did not."

"I did to!"

"Did not!"

"Did too! And I met Harry Hamlin and Burgess Meredith! I was an extra in _Clash of the Titans. _I got to be a servant in the sacrifice scene and got swept off the causeway and almost drowned with Maggie Smith! I tried to save her, but Bogg--"

Megan's face went white. "You almost _drowned? With __**Dame Maggie Smith**_?"

"No, not Dame Maggie, just Maggie. She played-"

"Thetis! I know! But Jeff, what happened? And they yelled at me and Tracy for getting mugged? Tell me tell me!"

"What's the big deal, Meg? Bogg saved her, and I didn't drown. It was just an assignment. I know she's a famous actress and all but jeeze!"

Megan looked scandalized. "She's not just a famous actress, Jeff. She's _**Professor McGonnagall**_."

She said it with such emphasis that Jeff quickly put it together, "You mean, she's in the _Harry Potter _movies"

Megan nodded, her eyes wide. "Do you realize that all of our assignments dealt with Harry Potter in some way? I wonder how Viv's assignment fits in, if it even does.."

The crowd started getting loud as the honorary mayor of Hollywood Johnny Grant stepped up to the podium. "Welcome to a truly historic occasion..."

-O-

Once the festivities were over (and Jeff pulled Megan away from the group of girls surrounding Dan), the kids met up with the adults. "That was really interesting," Bogg said as they walked down the street.

"Oh! Starbucks! We've got to go in and have a Frappuccino," Tracy said as she pulled Phineas into the coffee store.

Jeff looked at Megan, "What's a Frappuccino, and what does a space pilot have to do with coffee?"

Vivian was most impressed with the variety of coffees and decided she needed to voyage to Starbucks more often, but only if Matt joined her.

They found a table and one by one they shared their adventures. When she finished telling her story, Megan turned to Vivian. "Hey Viv, what was _your _assignment?"

"Whatever it was, she needed us to bail her out, huh Jeffrey?"

"I did not," she said indignantly. "Although you two landing on those SS officers _was _a bit helpful..." Phineas made a sour face at her and she laughed. "Actually I was helping a young Jewish couple escape Germany." She got a mischievous twinkle in her eye and looked over at Megan. "It turns out they were going to be the grandparents of a very famous young English actor..."

Megan's eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth to stifle the squeaking gasp, and the others laughed. "You rescued.. you mean they were.. Dan's _grandparents_?"

Viv nodded. "Yes ma'am, they certainly were!"

"Wow," said Jeff. "What are the odds?"

"About one hundred percent, my young Padewan."

"DADDY!" Megan was out of her chair and into her fathers arms in an instant. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm glad to see you too, sweetie," he said as he shook hands with Matt and Bogg. "But to answer your question, my Supervisor, Curt sent me out here to congratulate you all on jobs well done. And," he looked at Megan and Jeff, "to tell you that the Council is very impressed with the way you two handled yourselves in some very intense situations. You both acted with a maturity they knew you possessed but they were still pleasantly surprised at your abilities nonetheless. I on the other hand," he now glanced at Vivian, "I reacted to your situations with very little maturity and was... well... put on desk duty until you were out of danger."

"Dad! What did you do," Megan asked, horrified. "Don't you trust Tracy to take care of me? Mom was right, you'll never let me be a Voyager, will you?"

"Megan, I'm your father and it's _my job_ to worry about you. And I'm not going to stop you from being a Voyager if that's what you want to do. I've also had a rather long conversation with Garth and I have promised to behave, and I'll even let them re-assign me to other Omnitron duties that will keep me away from watching over you. But cut me some slack... this was your first assignment after all."

"It was my first assignment too," Matt said in hurt voice that was obviously playful. "So, who was worrying about me when I had to face those muggers and save Harry Potter from being run over by a subway train?" He glanced over at Viv who gave him a shy smile.

"Lets put it this way Matt," Jon said as Vivian's eyes narrowed. "She might play the cute, coy and innocent card, but let someone threaten her man... well, I learned some new words and several ways to string them together!" They all laughed then Jon smacked his forehead, "Oy! I almost forgot the real reason they sent me down here! C'mere Jeffrey and Megan."

They walked over to him and Jon put a hand on each of them. "In recognition for service above and beyond that required of Voyager Apprentices; for putting the safety of others before yourselves yet not recklessly putting your own lives in danger, the Council has waived the rest of your probationary period and has granted you full Apprentice status." They looked at him, eyes shining with excitement.

Jon took two Omni's from his pocket and held them up. "These are fully operational Omni's. They will function just as mine or Matt's or any Voyager's would, but they are also synced to your Sr. Voyager's Omni. If you get separated or need to split up to complete a voyage, you will always be able to find each other. It will also help us know better what situations you are facing and will allow VHQ to step in quickly if needed. Regardless of your maturity or your experience, you are both still children. But we trust you with this responsibility and expect you to keep the trust you have rightfully earned. Congratulations you two!" He handed them each an Omni, "Welcome to the Ranks!"

The other Voyagers applauded and then shared with Jon all that had happened on their voyages. They sat in the coffee shop for quite a while, then Jon finally stood to go. "Well, it's time for me to get back to VHQ and for all of you lazy bums to get back to work." His remark was rewarded by a pelting of crumpled up napkins and they all laughed. As they stood to go, he drew Megan into a hug. "I'm so very proud of you, and so is your mom. Keep up the good work and don't forget to stop by from time to time, okay? We miss you."

"You got it Dad," she smiled and kissed his cheek, then turned to Tracy. "So, when to?"

"Someplace quiet and not so crowded. How do they expect us to get any work done with Bogg and Jones getting in our way?"

Phineas looked indignant. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well," said Viv, "You did crash my last assignment..."

"Time to go, Jon," said Matt as he quickly headed for the door.

"I'm right behind you, cowboy, I'm right behind you."

THE END


	12. Acknowledgements

To those who made this Possible:

I've already thanked my family and the plot bunny, but I must thank you once more. It was a challenge to write this and make it believable and not a sappy "Mary Sue" for Megan. What's that you say? You couldn't tell this was a Mary Sue for my daughter? Yay! LOL Yes, she asked me to make her Tracy's partner AND she wanted the story to center around Harry Potter. Who would have thought I'd do something with HARRY POTTER?!?! LOL I think it worked out well, don't you? I even had to do research... and write about real people... yay fun.

I also want to Thank Ginger and Leanne for their help and guidance, and Pink Correction Pens:) You two helped me out so very much, and I thank you for your patience with me and listening to me whine about The-Story-That-Refused-To-Be-Named. Leanne, how many titles did we actually come up with... that we never used? LOL :)

To Megan's Best Friend Heather: THANK YOU FOR NAMING THIS STORY:) If the adults could not come up with something over the course of 8 hours.. leave it to the Honors Student to just go, "Ummm, lemme see... How about 'A Magical Voyage'?" BAM! It was JUST THAT EASY!

So, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are an angel and I'm so proud of you, my "adopted" daughter. :)

And, I also have to mention my "fan", Curt. He has been such and encouragement to me over the past 2 1/2 years, suggesting I keep writing and getting on the 'Gang up on Dayna' bandwagon that my hubby and daughter drive around all the time. Because you have always had such faith in me (and make me feel so special as a writer), you have your own character named after you now. I figured since you loved Jon and his Star Wars References that you would like to be his Supervisor over at VHQ. So, Viola! Supervisor Curt Rogers was born :) I hope you liked him.

And finally, to all those who read my stories: Thank you for your wonderful reviews, and if you don't leave a review, PLEASE LEAVE ONE! I really like to know what people think about my stories. I hope you have enjoyed my work, and I hope that this story in particular was a fun ride.

Dayna


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